Page 14 - spaces4learning, Summer 2022

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spaces4learning THEATERS/PERFORMING ARTS
programs by planting a legacy perform- ing arts center to serve as a district-wide icon. Named The Mapleton Arts Center (The MAC), the building supports nearly 1,000 students across the district involved in Mapleton’s performing arts programs. In addition, The MAC will become home to an entirely new offering for Mapleton
students—The Performing Arts School on Broadway for 7th to 12th graders—open- ing this fall.
The goal was lofty: Deliver a state-of- the-art performing arts center tailored to the unique needs of secondary students. Together with design-build partner The Neenan Company, Mapleton sought to
give local students an introduction to the Broadway experience. A performing arts center of this caliber is rarely seen in sec- ondary public education and offers stu- dents a world-class trailblazing in the arts. The school pairs rigorous academics with performing arts to provide an educational approach rooted in innovation, imagina- tion and intention, where students master geometry through stage and set design and study science through sound. All Mapleton students with a passion for the arts in any of its forms now have a home at The MAC: from singers and songwriters, to builders, engineers, creators, composers, directors, designers, makers, musicians, dancers, choreographers, scholars and innovators.
The features incorporated into the 45,000-square-foot performing arts build- ing rival that of a professional theater:
• Separate classrooms for each of its var-
ious programs, including band, dance, orchestra and choir. Each individual room provides a distinct feel, while maintaining a common thread to tie to- gether the building and its purpose.
• 900-seat auditorium for performances/ large district-wide events.
• Outdoor stage opening into the campus plaza for summer performances/events.
• A plethora of practice space for students
to hone their craft before graduating to the main stage, including a Blackbox theater, individual practice rooms and recording studio.
• A catwalk, loading dock, dressing rooms, control room, storage and ticketing booth expose students to the back-of-house sup- port services experience.
• Professional-grade acoustics.
• Separate student and public entries.
• Large two-story lobby/auditorium en-
trance.
• Administrative space onsite is critical
to ensuring the academic and opera- tional elements needed for a successful educational experience are incorporated into the performing arts programming.
As is the case of any project of this magnitude and scope, The MAC re- quired a deep understanding of Maple- ton’s existing performing arts program and the vision for the future, including its delivery model as well as student, fac- ulty, staff and community needs.
14 SPRING 2022 | spaces4learning.com