A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Spring 2023 Capstone Studio, Watercolor and Ink Wash

Our capstone project was by far the most ambitious program that my class has ever been faced with. This program presented us with a two-fold task: we were to design a building that functioned as the headquarters for both the music and theater academic departments of Benedictine College, as well as being a venue to host public performances put on by the college.

Preliminary Floor Plans.Although only one plan was shown in the presentation, we needed at least three plans well thought-out and designed.

Since the building needed to be both an academic building and a public venue, it was required to house enough classrooms and faculty office for two separate departments, around twenty practice rooms for the music department, a massive scene shop, dressing and makeup rooms for the theater department, prop storage, a box office, a kitchen for concessions and catering, a band room, ablackbox theater, and two separate auditoriums, one for large performances and one for smaller recitals (and this list is non-exhaustive). I chose a site on the southernmost tip of campus overlooking the Missouri River valley,with a beautiful view for miles that people can enjoy between performances.

Above: Preliminary elevations and sections. While only two elevations and sections were required for the final presentation, we were required to have two sections designed. With these drawings, I quickly realized I needed to simplify the massing of my elevations and remove a floor. Graphite and micron.

The arts are supposed to uplift the mind and inspire the spirit, and I believed that it would be unfitting for my building not to do the same.As far as exterior goes, I took a lot of inspiration from the Palais Garnier, the Royal Opera House in Valletta, Malta (no longer standing) and Viollet le Duc’s submission for the Paris Opera House design competition, while also looking back to the ancients with precedents such as the Theater of Pompey. Thegrand staircase quotes Bartolomeo Rastrelli’s beautiful stair hall in the Winter Palace, and the main auditorium takes inspiration from a multitude of Baroque sources.

More refined elevation sketches. While, again, only two elevations are included in the presentation, we were required to have at least three designed. Graphite and micron pen.

The final presentation consisted of two elevations, a section, an interior and exterior perspective, a groundfloor plan, and a site plan. We were allowed to render in any way we chose, and coming off a monochrome ink wash project, I was tempted to render everything for this project monochrome as well. However, as my capstone project, I eventually decided to attempt to showcase everything I had learned in my four years at Benedictine, ranging from formal wash renderings for the elevations, plans, and section to more evocative watercolors for the perspectives.

Above: Interior perspective of the stair hall. I wanted to treat this project as a design competition, so I chose the stair hall rather than the main auditorium for my interior perspective because I wanted to leave critics wanting more. Watercolor.

Right: First Floor Plan. Since we were only to present one plan, I decided to show the viewer a bit of the second floor in the stair hall and auditorium. Watercolor and Ink Wash.

Above: Exterior Perspective of the South Facade. Watercolor.

Right: Site Plan. This shows the building in relation to the other buildings on campus. This building is on the south-east corner of campus, and has a great view of the Missouri River Valley. In addition, it will also be one of the first buildings you see when crossing the river on your approach to campus. Watercolor and Ink Wash.