Kendall Sports and Dance Complex
Called upon to untangle the jumble of spaces devoted to recreation and dance programs that had coexisted uneasily for a number of years inside Kendall Hall, an addition was created in order to relocate dance studios from the center of the facility to space adjacent to an existing 300-seat dance performance theater. The 4,750 SF addition comprises two dance studios separated from the theater by a corridor. As part of the expansion, a new entry plaza replaced weathered steps of crumbling concrete and broken slate with a diagonally placed grand stair under a canopy emphasizing the new entry. A 30-foot vertical glass element provides a view into the dance center circulation at the juncture of the new dance wing to the existing complex.
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Inside, the performance center got permanent, fixed seating, with the slope made steeper for enhanced sight lines and to accommodate a theater-arts classroom underneath. The project’s trickiest maneuver involved the installation of a 12-by-80-foot skylight that runs the length of the performance space, outfitted with blackout shades that open and close with the push of a button.
CLIENT
Mount Holyoke College
LOCATION
South Hadley, Massachusetts
YEAR COMPLETED
2021
SIZE
4,750 SF
COST
$5,000,000
QA+M Architecture is a full-service architectural firm that provides programming, planning and interior design for clients in commercial, community, education, healthcare, historical, housing, and recreational/athletic markets. Staffed by 34 dedicated professionals, including 17 licensed architects, QA+M has grown to be the 4th largest architectural firm in the Greater Hartford area.
ADDRESS
195 Scott Swamp Rd, Farmington, CT 06032
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