Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) has been chosen as the winner of a design competition for a new performing arts center at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. The competition received submissions from eight world-renowned firms, which were then judged by a selection committee. The $60 million building will tentatively begin construction in 2017, as part of the College's plan to "Become More: The Campaign of Holy Cross." DS+R ultimately won the competition due to its diverse design and interdisciplinary nature, just as the College hopes to instill in its students through this addition.
Following a substantial $25 million donation from an alumnus in 2013, the College of the Holy Cross began its efforts to make the performing arts center a reality. With a faculty whose creative works have received such honors as Guggenheim Fellowships and Grammy Awards, the College hopes the performing arts center will not only represent a physical manifestation of the arts, but also foster an appreciation for creative fields by providing the appropriate space, tools, and atmosphere.
In keeping with this campus philosophy, the state-of-the-art performing arts center will host a number of features unique to the arts, while also acting as the cultural center of the school. It will house a concert hall and theater with specialty acoustics, which accommodates 400 people and will provide a venue for the school's musical and dance performances. The addition will also support a 200-seat performance hall with a flexible program to suit students' needs, as well as what has been deemed "the beehive." This area will be accessible to all students, providing them with a space to explore creative multimedia work (sound recording and editing, filming, set design, etc.) while sponsoring a collaborative atmosphere via shared work and congregation spaces, as well as a public cafe and lobby.
Reflecting on the opportunity to pursue this design, DS+R partner Ricardo Scofidio commented: “We feel incredibly privileged to be working with Holy Cross to imagine hybrid spaces that engender new forms of teaching, learning, and artistic creation. The building will be a cultural hub for the campus and a meaningful contribution to the performing arts typology.”
Story via the College of the Holy Cross
