Mount Holyoke College

Kendall Sports and Dance Complex

  • 08/01/13
Mount Holyoke College 

PHOTOS © GREGG SHUPE 2013|SHUPESTUDIOS.COM,

When Kendall Hall was constructed in 1950 on the campus of Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA, it must have been a wonder. Finally, athletics and dance, two aspects of the college’s physical education program, would get dedicated space in close proximity to each other.

By 2008, when Moser Pilon Nelson Architects began early design work on what was then only an expanded fitness center project, increasing needs for both growing programs were competing for existing space within the building.

Practice facilities for dance have only a few specific requirements — an appropriate, comfortable surface; sensitive light and airhandling controls; and a relatively separate location to ensure a quiet environment. Windows can include a mix of transparent and translucent glass, for added privacy, and doors are made wide enough to allow the transport of larger objects (such as a piano). Dedicated storage space for costumes, cubbies for personal belongings, mirrors, ballet bars — it’s not that complicated.

A 4,750-square-foot addition was placed next to the dance performance space, comprising two dance studios separated from the theater by a corridor. As part of the expansion, a new entry plaza with a diagonally placed grand stair under an entry canopy was installed. 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.

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 design team specified 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.

The reorganization complete, the dance program has an end of the building that — during performances, at least — it can call its own.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management August 2013 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Tennessee District Opens New Central Office

    The Franklin Special District (FSD) in Franklin, Tenn., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new 38,400-square-foot Central Office facility, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects and Engineers to create an administrative space designed to boost productivity, collaboration, and employee wellness.

  • Norfolk State University Partners with Voltus for Energy Efficiency Program

    Norfolk State University recently announced that it has selected Voltus, Inc., to implement the university’s new energy efficiency program on its campus in Norfolk, Va. According to a news release, the partnership’s goal is to reduce campus energy use by 27% by the year 2030 and support grid reliability across the state of Virginia.

  • Zurn Elkay Announces Updated Line of Filtered Bottle Filling Stations

    Zurn Elkay Water Solutions recently released an updated line of its Elkay Filtered Bottle Filling Stations, according to a news release. The new line features a sleeker design and functional upgrades to help simplify filter maintenance and reduce long-term labor costs.

  • Quadient Achieves 25,000 Locker Installations Worldwide

    Global automation platform Quadient recently announced that it has acquired Package Concierge, a U.S.-based parcel management solutions provider, according to a news release. The acquisition pushes Quadient over the 25,000-unit milestone of global installations.