The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. opened its first-ever expansion on September 7, and is celebrating that opening with 16 days of free programming.
Designed by Steven Holl Architects, The REACH, as the addition is known, is anchored by three pavilions—called Welcome, Skylight, and River—located on more than 130,000 sf of sweeping lawn that overlooks the Potomac River. The buildings are linked below ground to create an expanded facility that includes classrooms, three rehearsal studios, and multiuse public spaces.
The project incorporates engineering features that include a void slab design, a technique rarely used in the U.S., which allowed for the expansion’s dramatic sculptural forms and spacious interiors. Plastic balls are embedded in the concrete to reduce the overall deadweight and allow for longer spans. Arup coordinated closely with the design team to ensure that each component of the building’s systems was effectively woven into the slab system on schedule.
The Link walkway connects the Kennedy Center's main building to the REACH.
To support the architectural vision and ambitious sustainability targets, Arup's team of engineers and consultants collaborated to develop a building systems strategy that optimizes energy performance while remaining largely unseen. For example, an under-floor concrete trench system enables the building services to be distributed out of sightline, thereby preserving the integrity of the architectural vision.
The strategy also incorporates a range of performance-enhancing technologies, from a closed-loop, ground source heat rejection system, to advanced temperature controls and radiant floor heating. Using Arup’s in-house software suite, Oasys Building Environmental Analysis (BEANS), the team demonstrated that the addition of radiant floors would counteract the thermal effects of one of the pavilion’s massive curved wall, providing both heating and cooling and significantly boosting comfort throughout the year while keeping energy demands within acceptable levels.
One of three rehearsal studios at The REACH.
The REACH could be viewed as a counterpoint to the monolithic Kennedy Center, which one architectural critic once disparaged as a “superbunker” with over-the-top interior design elements and few windows. In contrast, the REACH’s 72,000 sf interior space—which include a living theater, immersive learning center, and public arts incubator—present more-open, inviting spaces to visitors and patrons. The addition increases the Kennedy Center’s public-facing areas by 20%, Deborah Rutter, the Center’s president, told Bizjournals.com.
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company was the construction manager on the project.
The REACH cost an estimated $175 million, 75% over its original construction buddget, and took two more years than planned to complete. Its supporters say that a portion of the extra cost will pay for operations. The Kennedy Center is in the process of raising $250 million in individual and corporate donations for the new facility, which is targeting LEED Gold certification.
The lobby for the Welcome Pavilion, one of three buildings that comprise The REACH.
Related Stories
| Jun 12, 2014
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects' design selected for new UCSC facility
The planned site is a natural landscape among redwood trees with views over Monterey Bay, a site that the architects have called “one of the most beautiful they have ever worked on.”
| Jun 12, 2014
Austrian university develops 'inflatable' concrete dome method
Constructing a concrete dome is a costly process, but this may change soon. A team from the Vienna University of Technology has developed a method that allows concrete domes to form with the use of air and steel cables instead of expensive, timber supporting structures.
| Jun 11, 2014
David Adjaye’s housing project in Sugar Hill nears completion
A new development in New York's historic Sugar Hill district nears completion, designed to be an icon for the neighborhood's rich history.
| Jun 9, 2014
Green Building Initiative launches Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors program
The new program focuses exclusively on the sustainable design and construction of interior spaces in nonresidential buildings and can be pursued by both building owners and individual lessees of commercial spaces.
| Jun 4, 2014
Want to design a Guggenheim? Foundation launches open competition for proposed Helsinki museum
This is the first time the Guggenheim Foundation has sought a design through an open competition. Anonymous submissions for stage one of the competition are due September 10, 2014.
| Jun 4, 2014
Construction team named for Atlanta Braves ballpark
A joint venture between Barton Malow, Brasfield & Gorrie, Mortenson Construction, and New South Construction will build the Atlanta Braves ballpark, which is scheduled to open in early 2017. Check out the latest renderings of the plan.
| May 30, 2014
Riding high: L.A., Chicago working on their version of the High Line elevated park
Cities around the U.S. are taking notice of New York's highly popular High Line elevated park system. Both Chicago and Los Angeles are currently working on High Line-like projects.
| May 29, 2014
7 cost-effective ways to make U.S. infrastructure more resilient
Moving critical elements to higher ground and designing for longer lifespans are just some of the ways cities and governments can make infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and climate change, writes Richard Cavallaro, President of Skanska USA Civil.
| May 23, 2014
Big design, small package: AIA Chicago names 2014 Small Project Awards winners
Winning projects include an events center for Mies van der Rohe's landmark Farnsworth House and a new boathouse along the Chicago river.
| May 23, 2014
Top interior design trends: Gensler, HOK, FXFOWLE, Mancini Duffy weigh in
Tech-friendly furniture, “live walls,” sit-stand desks, and circadian lighting are among the emerging trends identified by leading interior designers.
