CONTACT
Kristen Mathias, Marketing Director, Theatre Projects Consultants
T +1 203 307-2948 kmathias@theatreprojects.com
James Casciato, Marketing Coordinator, Theatre Projects Consultants
T + 1 203 307 2957 jcasciato@theatreprojects.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 18, 2014
Theatre Projects’ expertise contributes to Queen’s University’s stunning, new
Isabel Bader Centre for the Arts
NORWALK, CT
On the shores of Lake Ontario, Queen’s University’s Isabel Bader Centre for the Arts—the newest
addition to Canada’s cultural landscape—is set to open its doors this weekend, marking the
culmination of more than seven years of planning, design, and construction.
Theatre Projects collaborated with Snøhetta and N45 Architecture on the design of this 80,000 squarefoot arts center that will provide Kingston, Ontario with a state-of-the-art teaching facility, a worldclass showcase for student and professional musicians, and a breathtaking architectural addition to the
university campus.
The $65 million center, which combines historic preservation and modern architecture, features a
concert hall, flexible theatre, orchestra rehearsal room, film screening room, film production studio,
classrooms, and a full suite of support spaces.
The centerpiece of the lakeside arts center is the 566-seat performance hall. Theatre Projects drove the
design of the hall, which takes on the classic shoebox concert hall form, but with a smaller seat count,
creating an extremely intimate and dynamic experience for the audience. By wrapping the audience
around the hall, the balcony seating enhances the dynamic atmosphere. Behind the stage platform, the
balcony allows room for up to a 60–person chorus or more audience seating.
Although the room was built primarily for symphonic music, the performance hall was designed to be
multipurpose and can accommodate amplified music, film, and other forms of multimedia. “It’s a very
modern, versatile, and functional space,” Theatre Projects’ theatre designer, Scott Crossfield, said. “But
it’s also a beautiful, classic concert hall.”
In order to maintain Snøhetta’s clean, modern design for the performance hall, Theatre Projects worked
closely with the architects to ensure the room could accommodate the seamless and discreet integration
of lighting and rigging systems as well as complement the naturalist aesthetic, all without
compromising the performance requirements of the users.
“Sensitive integration of equipment is something we consider a specialty of ours. It comes down to
listening to the architect and being in on a job early,” Steven Rust, Theatre Projects’, lighting designer
said. “All too often, stage lighting is an afterthought and is just ‘tacked on’ at the end of project. That
absolutely wasn’t the case here. This successful collaboration will leave visitors hard-pressed to notice
the room’s extensive infrastructure.”
The Principal Emerita Karen Hitchcock Rehearsal Hall—an expansive room with 30-foot ceilings—is
designed to give musicians an easy transition from rehearsals to performances in the concert hall. The
room’s acoustics mimic those of the performance hall, negating any potential acoustic surprises
awaiting musicians.
A need to accommodate a wide variety of users and performance types led Theatre Projects to extend
the same type of flexibility to the center’s smaller venue—the Power Corporation of Canada Studio
Theatre. This highly versatile, 130-seat flexible theatre can be arranged into flat floor, thrust, or arena
configurations. Even the walls of the room are versatile, with five sets of metal channels running
horizontally around the room at different heights, allowing for lighting, scenery, and rigging to be
attached to the walls, providing countless design options.
The flexibility and multipurpose design continue even into the Isabel’s stunning two-story lobby where
Theatre Projects integrated lighting positions discreetly into the ceiling and pillars, allowing the room
to easily host a wide variety of events—parties, galas, and fundraisers.
As the new home to university’s Departments of Film and Media, the center also features a film
production studio, editing suite, and a 92-seat screening room.
Built in part from an abandoned 182-year-old distillery, in every facet, the Isabel embraces both history
and modernity. Whether it’s hosting a choir ensemble, or a multimedia presentation, chamber music,
or a student-made, one-act play, the stunning lakeside center offers the Kingston community and
Queen’s University students an unparalleled chance to explore and enhance their creativity.
“This is absolutely the most beautiful site we’ve ever built on,” David H. Rosenburg, Theatre Projects’
project manager, said. “From the moment you walk in the building, you’re very aware that it’s part of
something larger than itself. There’s a constant connection to the outside, in part, because of the very
liberal use of glass.”
The Isabel is the fifth completed collaboration between Theatre Projects and Snøhetta. The four
previous projects were the Wolfe Center for the Arts at Bowling Green University; the Oslo Opera
House; the Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech; and the Baerum Kulturhus in Sandvika, Norway. A
sixth collaboration, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Saudi Arabia, is slated to open in
2015.
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Notes for Editors:
Theatre Projects is an international team of theatre designers and planners creating extraordinary
performance spaces around the world. For over 55 years Theatre Projects has provided creative design
solutions and technical innovation and expertise to more than 1,200 projects in over 70 countries. Theatre
Projects provides strategic planning, theatre planning and design, and theatre equipment design and
specification. The Theatre Projects team is based in Connecticut, London, Los Angeles, and Shanghai. For
more information please visit theatreprojects.com.
The press release is available for download in the Theatre Projects Media Room.