Story

St Mary’s College of Maryland approached M+J with a unique problem of wishing to create a significant public space that functions as a major campus node for the academic year but can be easily transformed into a festival space for an increasing number of summer events and occasional college activities. Through a Preliminary Design process, M+J looked at solutions that would meet budgetary, programmatic, and contextual concerns.

It is the intent that the amphitheater itself becomes a permanent ‘sculpture’ that anchors the space and enhances existing buildings and movement and service patterns but can be made into a grander, higher performing stage for the summer or even isolated events. Additionally, the scheme is inherently environmental. It responds to the context in complementary ways but is able to transcend that context and convert the entire site and its edges from an academic atmosphere to an event venue and then back again.

Ultimately a coliseum-style amphitheatre was presented to the community, as a means of addressing all of their desires. The open space suggested by new and proposed College buildings was organized and designed to resolve formal and informal paths and views creating a memorable central space for the entire college. The space will still house a stage for concerts, campus activities and student functions in a state-of-the-art pavilion that bridges the space and the arts buildings. An area in front of the stage for a supporting orchestra will be required to support opera and musical productions and trucks for stage support equipment and instruments loading and unloading will need access to the stage areas. The adjacent site areas will be developed to provide for utility support of the food vendor venues at the Summer River Concert Series as well as pedestrian access from the amphitheatre to these areas. When the amphitheatre is not in use, it is desired that views of the river from the site will be maintained.