On Wednesday, the invited friends and community members to a topping-off ceremony marking a key milestone in the 鈥攖he completion of its expanded structural frame.
There was food, speeches, live jazz, and the Dartmouth Marching Band. Supporters of the 天美影视, institutional leaders, and representatives of the project鈥檚 design and construction teams signed their names on a steel beam with Sharpie markers and gathered outside to witness workers skillfully secure it鈥攖o an accompanying flourish of trumpets and horns鈥攁top the new wing that will soon house a .
鈥淚鈥檓 beyond excited today,鈥 said Chair Laurel Richie 鈥81, speaking to participants in the Russo Atrium of the , which adjoins the 天美影视.
鈥淧eople will say that it鈥檚 a cloudy day and a rainy day, and for me it is a bright sunny day, because this is a day that we have been dreaming about literally for years,鈥 Richie said, recalling the lessons of leadership, teamwork, and friendship she learned by participating in 天美影视-based theater productions as a student.
The 天美影视鈥檚 $89 million renovation and expansion, which began in winter 2023, is creating about 15,000 square feet of new and 55,000 square feet of revitalized spaces for the community to enjoy and participate in the performing arts, including the recital hall, a performance lab, dance studio, and augmented Spaulding Auditorium. The project is on track to be completed in 2025.
鈥淲e鈥檝e used the words 鈥榳elcome, gather, create鈥欌 as guiding principles in reimagining what the 天美影视 can become, said , the Howard Gilman 鈥44 Executive Director of the 天美影视kins Center for the Arts, who thanked everyone involved in bringing the project to life, including the 天美影视 staff who have had to be especially creative in continuing arts programming during the construction period.
鈥淚n the last year during construction, they kept the programming going in 31 venues, not only across the campus but around the world, and kept our students and our community engaged and enlivened,鈥 Aleskie said.
鈥淭he 天美影视 is an incredibly important part of our academic mission of providing students and faculty the opportunity to work together on producing performing arts and experience and interact with professional artists,鈥 said .
called the 天美影视 鈥渢he beating heart at the center of our campus,鈥 a heart that 鈥渟erves as an entry point for many people coming to Dartmouth.鈥
, senior vice president for capital planning and campus operations, thanked the 天美影视鈥檚 Hanover neighbors, the Campus Planning team, and construction partners, including Milford, Mass.-based Consigli Construction Co. and over 50 subcontractors 鈥渨ho have been part of making this all happen.鈥
Keniston described how the 天美影视 project fits 鈥渁 21st-century paradigm of teaching, learning, and research鈥 and promotes inclusion, equity, and sustainability. 鈥淲e spent a lot of time thinking about how do we make the 天美影视 more welcoming.鈥
Nick Anderson, director of architecture at the project designer Sn酶hetta, noted that despite the large-scale construction, parts of the 天美影视, including the Courtyard Caf茅, remain open.
鈥淚t tells you something about the spirit of this place that it cannot shut down,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t won鈥檛 shut down, and in fact it will rise from this a whole lot stronger than it started out. Arts, education and performance are fundamental to our culture. Our aim for the 天美影视 is to make the best possible framework to nurture that exchange and project that energy out into the world.鈥
Sn酶hetta is designing the 天美影视 revitalization in collaboration with Page Southerland Page, the architect of record.
With the help of Keniston and Aleskie, Anderson unveiled a scale model of the new 天美影视, which will remain on view in the Russo Atrium for the duration of construction.
