Studzinski Recital Hall and Kanbar Auditorium
Featured in our Performing Arts BTS for its qualities as a musical performance venue, Studzinski Recital Hall captured our attention again, this time for its ingenious story of adaptive reuse from a college swimming pool to an auditorium for musical celebration.
Photo © Toshiharu Kitajima
Photo © Toshiharu Kitajima
Photo © Toshiharu Kitajima
Image courtesy TOMURO Atelier + Kenichi Nakamura and Associates
Image courtesy TOMURO Atelier + Kenichi Nakamura and Associates
Image courtesy TOMURO Atelier + Kenichi Nakamura and Associates
Image courtesy TOMURO Atelier + Kenichi Nakamura and Associates
Architects & Firms
Brunswick, Maine
People/ProductsStudzinski Recital Hall at Bowdoin College transforms a historic McKim, Mead and White swimming pool into a 287-seat recital hall. A large acoustic volume was carved out of the existing structure, and into that volume now stands an intimate oval-shaped vessel for music. The bold, curved geometry of the music hall provides a stark contrast to the former shoebox shape of the existing building. A design vocabulary of taut, minimalist surfaces, and warm, natural materials enwraps the acoustic quality of the space.
Wood paneling embraces the audience and performer in a singular space. These forms organize audience seating along the sides of the room, surrounding the stage and uniting the audience and performer in a vibrant community of music.
An especially innovative element of the recital hall is the freestanding pylons, clad in brass mesh, that allow sound to pass through to the massive brick exterior walls, maintaining the acoustical depth of the hall. Each pylon contains an inner space that conceals an adjustable acoustical curtain that can be raised or lowered to cater the hall to different music programs.
While the project involves a radical renovation of the interior, a light-touch approach was taken toward the restoration of the building’s exterior. The transformation brings new life to this long dormant campus landmark, and preserves the college’s extraordinary collection of McKim, Mead and White buildings.
PeopleOwner: Architect: Personnel in architect's firm who should receive special credit: Clifford V. Gayley AIA, Associate Principal for Design Kevin Bergeron AIA, Associate - Project Manager and Project Architect Alan Joslin, AIA, Co-Principal – Schematic Design Project team: Architect of record William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc. Interior designer Lab [3.2] Architecture Engineer(s): Civil: M/E/P: Consultant(s): Geothermal: Water Energy Distributors, Inc.; http://northeastgeo.com Lighting: Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design; www.hlblighting.com Acoustical: Kirkegaard Associates, Inc.; www.kirkegaard.com Theater: Theatre Projects Consultants; www.tpcworld.com Accessibility Consulting: Kessler McGuinness & Associates General contractor: Photographer(s): CAD system, project management, or other software used:
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ProductsStructural system: Existing masonry exterior bearing walls and roof trusses were maintained while a new internal steel frame and concrete/ metal deck floor slab was inserted within. Exterior cladding: Metal/glass curtainwall: Anodized aluminum curtainwall system by Tubelite (www.tubelite.com) with Pilkington Energy Advantage low-E glass; subcontractor: AD+W Architectural Doors & Windows(www.a-d-w.biz) Roofing: Built-up roofing: Firestone EPDM (www.firestonebpco.com) Metal: New acoustical roof over existing – standing seam copper; copper by Revere Copper Products, Inc.(www.reverecopper.com) Windows: Doors: Metal doors: Curries (www.curries.com) Wood doors: Marshfield Doorsystems, Inc. (www.marshfielddoors.com) Special doors (sound control, X-ray, etc.): sound control doors by Overly Door Company (www.overly.com) Hardware: Hinges: Hager (www.hagerhinge.com); Rixson (www.rixson.com); McKinney (www.mckinneyhinge.com) Closers: LCN (www.lcnclosers.com) Exit devices: Von Duprin (www.vonduprin.com) Pulls: Rockwood (www.rockwoodmfg.com) Security devices: Kaba (www.kaba-ilco.com); Locknetics (www.locknetics.com) Interior finishes: Suspension grid: Armstrong (www.armstrong.com) Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: Windham Millwork (www.windhammillwork.com)
Paints and stains: Sherwin Williams (www.sherwin-williams.com) Paneling: White Birch Paneling by Windham Millwork (www.windhammillwork.com) Floor and wall tile (cite where used): Restrooms; Daltile (www.daltile.com) Resilient flooring: Armstrong-Vinyl Composition Tile (www.armstrong.com) Carpet: Durkan (www.durkancommercial.com) Countertops: Dupont Corian (www.corian.com) Furnishings: Fixed seating: Fixed chairs at Recital Hall: Irwin seating (www.irwinseating.com) Chairs: Loose Chairs at Recital Hall: “Timberlane” by National (www.nationalonline.com) Upholstery: chair upholstery by Maharam (www.maharam.com) Other furniture (use additional sheet if necessary): automated window shades by Mechoshades (www.mechoshades.com) Lighting: Downlights: Lightolier (www.lightolier.com) Exterior: Bega (www.bega-us.com) Controls: Lutron (www.lutron.com) Performance: ETC (www.etcconnect.com) Accent: Lightolier (www.lightolier.com); Edison Price (www.epl.com) Conveyance: Plumbing: Plumbing Fixtures: American Standard (www.american standard-us.com) Valves: Sloan (www.sloanvalve.com) Seats: Bemis (www.bemisseats.com) Shower heads: Symmons (www.symmons.com) Add any additional building components or special equipment that made a significant contribution to this project: Bronze Metal Mesh by Cambridge Architectural (www.cambridgearchitectural.com) Adjustable Acoustic Drapery by KM Fabrics (www.kmfabrics.com) Acoustically Transparent Scrim Fabric by Acoustone (www.acoustonegrillecloth.com) A/V System and Performance Lighting: subcontractor – High Output (www.highoutput.com) Adjustable Acoustics in Recital Hall: subcontractor – Pook Diemont & Ohl (www.pdoinc.com) A geothermal system provides the building’s heating and cooling. |
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