The Music Center at Strathmore

Location
North Bethesda MD

Institution
Strathmore Hall

Design Architect
William Rawn Associates

Executive Architect
Grimm + Parker Architects

Acoustician
Kirkegaard Associates

Construction Manager
Tishman Construction Corporation

Awards
2004 Washington Building Congress Craftsmanship Award
2005 AIA Maryland Honor Award
2005 Boston Society of Architects Honor Award
2005 AIA Northern Virginia Honor Award
2005 AIA Potomac Valley Merit Award
2006 Boston Society of Architects Award for Interior Design
2007 Prague Quadrennial: Feature building of the United States Theatre Architecture Exhibition

This flexible concert hall is warm and intimate and possesses a superb sound. The concert platform supports dance and other basic productions as well as symphonic music. The side walls of the platform pivot to expose wing space. The platform has an orchestra pit lift and choral riser lift that provide access to storage below. A gridiron over the platform supports production rigging and an infinitely adjustable acoustic reflector array. Gene Leitermann was project manager (through design development) and principal in charge for Theatre Projects.

Users
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
National Philharmonic
Washington Performing Arts Society
CityDance Ensemble
Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra
Levine School of Music

Construction Type
New Construction

Square Feet
190,000

Cost
$98.6 million

Completion
2005

Spaces
1,976-seat concert hall
Educational facility

Photography © Alan Karchmer