Bowdoin College
Studzinski Recital Hall
Project
Studzinski Recital Hall
Client
Bowdoin College
Location
Brunswick, ME
Completion
2007
Size
20,060 GSF
Category
The Arts, Renovations + Additions
Transforming an historic McKim, Mead, and White swimming pool into a new 282-seat recital hall, this project involved a radical renovation of the interior and a light touch restoration of the building’s exterior. A large acoustic volume was carved out of the existing structure and transformed into a more intimate, oval-shaped “vessel for music.” The hall’s design accommodates a range of musical programs including classical music, jazz, world and electronic music, and multimedia screenings.
Having a beautiful place, dedicated to performance, tells students visibly that we are serious about music.
Mary Hunter, Professor of Music, Bowdoin College
ARTS ON A LIBERAL ARTS CAMPUS
Recognizing the important role of Music and the Arts to a liberal arts education, we designed the building to meet the unique needs of student performers. Further, the Recital Hall was viewed as a place that brings the Bowdoin community together, a place of gathering and celebration. To this end, the Hall was conceived of as a warm, inviting space with natural birch woodwork and filled with natural light.
It’s a hall in which the acoustics are so wonderful you can hear the last ring of the piano. You can hear a whisper.
Cristle Collins Judd, Fmr. Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Music, Bowdoin College
Awards + Recognition
2012 National AIA-CAE Education Facility Design Excellence Award
2011 BSA Sustainable Design Award
2009 BSA Recognizing Opportunity Citation for Adaptive Reuse Project
2008 National AIA-CAE/SCUP Excellence in Architecture Honor Award for Restoration and Preservation
2008 AIA New England Design Excellence Honor Award
2008 USITT Architecture Merit Award
2007 BSA Higher Education Facilities Design Honor Award
Project Consultants
Structural Engineer | LeMessurier Consultants, Inc.
Mechanical / Electrical Engineer | TMP Engineering
Civil Engineer | TMP Engineering
Landscape Architect | Carol R. Johnson Associates
Interior Designer | Lab [3.2] Architecture
Lighting Consultant | Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design
Theater Consultant | Theatre Projects Consultants, Inc.
Acoustical Engineer | Kirkegaard Associates
AV Consultant | Kirkegaard Associates
Photographer | Robert Benson, Bowdoin Archives