The Fessenden School, Elfers Center for the Arts

Newton, Massachusetts

Firm

CBT Architects

Client

The Fessenden School

Area

20,450 sq.ft.

Completion Date

02/2019

Anton Grassl Photography; CBT Architects

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Design Team
Paul Viccica, Eileen Casciari, Daniel Guzas, Meagan Kelley, Lonnie Ash, Lauren Gauthier, Howe Engineers, Rist-Frost-Shumway Engineering, Stantec, Boston Light Source, Martin Vinik Planning for the Arts

The performing arts center at the Fessenden School in Newton, Mass., needed a renovation that would renew the school’s focus on the arts and support expanding programming.

The new Elfers Center for the Arts breathes life into underused spaces and provides new opportunities for the school’s robust visual and performing arts curriculum. The addition of an entry canopy and expansive glass stage wall of the new 125-seat recital hall revitalizes the exterior façade and gives a new identity to the building within the campus. Inside, a modernized, 246-seat, tiered theater, new art studios, and multipurpose common areas allow for community engagement.

Outdated and underused spaces in the building’s lower level were transformed into classrooms and studios for students working with traditional media, graphic design, ceramics, and woodworking. The entryway and circulation plan, designed to improve flow and function, create a cohesive blend of the diverse artistic disciplines. On the upper floor, reconfigured hallways and a second-floor gallery and exhibition space enable students to showcase their work providing valuable community gathering spaces.

Additional Information

Featured in

2022 Architectural Portfolio

Interior category

Auditoriums/Music Rooms

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