Athey Center for Performance and Research at Palmer Auditorium

Location
New London CT

Institution
Connecticut College

Architect
Ennead Architects

Acoustician
Threshold

Construction Manager
Colliers International

Athey Center for Performance and Research at Palmer Auditorium is a charming 1939 example of the Moderne style with an historic past as a center of campus life and outreach to the wider community. At different times it has been associated with the American Dance Festival, the National Theater of the Deaf, and the Eugene O’Neill Memorial Theater Center. Nextstage collaborated closely with the college and project team to provide much needed infrastructure work and to revitalize Palmer Auditorium to ensure it remains a campus and community asset well into the future. The auditorium is reduced from 1,300 to 1,000 seats, with improved sightlines, audience comfort, and technical equipment. Theater Department offices are consolidated and improved, creating for the first time a central and visible presence for the department. The building is now more open and accessible, with inviting entrances, natural light, and new study and lounge areas.

Construction Type
New construction
Renovation

Square Feet
32,000

Cost
$20 million

Completion
2022

Users
Department of Dance
Department of Theater
onStage at Connecticut College
Connecticut College events

Spaces
1,000-seat multipurpose theater
Rehearsal/performance studio

Photography © Ennead Architects