New design revealed for Hopkins Center for the Arts,
Snøhetta and Dartmouth have revealed images of the upcoming expansion and redesign of the Hopkins Hope Arts Center in Hanover, New Hampshire.
Design aims
The project aims to modernize the existing arts center and create a renewed gateway to the campus arts district.
The architecture of the new design will feature new spaces for practice and performance,
increased connections to the surrounding arts buildings, as well as improved accessibility and mobility throughout the master plan.
The expansion and redesign of the existing center aims to bring together artists and audiences in a renewed and modern facility,
honoring the building’s historic legacy.
The building will offer new interactive audience experiences and increased rehearsal and production areas,
allowing artists and audiences, to create and enjoy contemporary forms of performance art while complementing Hope’s original architecture,
built by Wallace K Harrison.
Design shape
Snøhetta has retained the building’s distinctive arches and presence in The Green,
as well as spaces loved by the community, such as the “Top of the Hop”, Moore Theater and Spaulding Hall.
The experiences of visitors, students and residents of Hanover are all shaped by the geography of the area, which is evident in the layout of the campus.
The combination of ‘ruggedness and purity’, which appears across the city landscape,
is reflected in the architectural design.
It also links The Green building, located in the center of the campus to Hanover,
which serves as the entrance gate to the campus.
In addition to a vibrant meeting place for visitors, staff and students,
the design extends into the streets adjacent to the campus and the surrounding urban fabric of New England.
To provide further promotion of The Hop’s welcome, this is inspired by the nearby mountains and the local environment.
Inspired by the curves of a mid-20th century building,
the outdoor plaza is sculpted to provide intuitive movement and direct visitors toward gathering, meeting and entry spaces.
It was designed as a platform to elevate the daily lives of students and faculty,
and offers visitors a glimpse into the dynamic artistic processes that occur within the building.
The voices of the band, the production team of a dance video,
and the fans themselves represent the creative potential of the diverse engagement.
The new lobby, called The Forum, created a vibrant social space that would fill with students,
faculty and staff throughout the day, and with audiences before and after performances.
A central staircase links the Forum to the second floor,
and links the new Recital Hall and the Performance Lab on the ground floor and the Plaza.
New design revealed for Hopkins Center for the Arts
Designed as a glass lantern, the 150-seat Recital Hall overlooks the square
and offers stunning views of the Baker Library Tower while looking out at Sugar Maples on The Green.
Its arched, taper-framed windows are also created using an innovative,
curved mullion system that brings in floods of daylight.
In terms of facilities, the space offers state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment,
which will facilitate the creation of student-led performance media while transforming Leap into a broadcast center for digital shows.
Below the Forum, a new dance studio with partially submerged rehearsal space has also been placed,
as well as north-facing carton windows, providing natural light and glimpses into the tree-plaza canopy.
Ceiling heights of 24 feet and well-lit interiors will provide dancers with the perfect place to rehearse.
The design also includes a renovation of the building’s 900-seat theater and Spaulding Auditorium and an upgrade to the Top of the Hop,
a beloved gathering space within the Dartmouth community.
Several spaces on the lower level of the gaffe, such as the rehearsal lab,
will also be reconfigured and redesigned as part of the project as well.
Design builds time
Scheduled to begin construction in late 2022 and reopen in 2025, while construction is in progress,
Hope will continue to offer a range of personalized shows and programs utilizing spaces throughout the Dartmouth campus.
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