Brown University's Lindemann Performing Arts Center

The Lindemann Performing Arts Center is a fully transfigurable hall, radical in its creative capacity and ideal for an educational and experimental environment.
Part of its magic is the ability to shift through “preset” configurations. Users engage unique manual and automated operations, above and below the stage, to achieve five primary arrangements-concert hall, immersive media cube, flat floor, recital hall, and proscenium theatre-all with relative speed and limited labor.
Accommodating the transitions are mechanized architectural, acoustic, and seating elements. Massive, nested and mobile gantries track in and out-the largest of which travels 44 feet from the back of the house to the stage’s edge. Walls recede. A video screen rises from the floor. Drawbridges come down for technicians traveling behind the scenes. 900-pound millwork ceiling reflectors adjust overhead to direct sound and allow for other performance equipment to fly in. Retractable seating tucks away or disappears down a level via a stage lift. The main space has four sound-isolating glass walls with blackout panels to embrace or control the abundance of daylight, depending on the needs of the performance.
Theatre Projects has long prioritized a philosophy of giving performers the tools they need and then stepping out of the way. A fit-for-purpose hall like the Lindemann gives this and more. Beyond the technical excellence and engineering flash, the Lindemann is a breeding ground for new work and an outlet for budding artists. The space offers something unique to the Brown community: a home for creatives whose ambition will always extend beyond a traditional venue.
For this landmark project, it has been a joy to partner with Brown Arts Institute, Brown University, Rex Architecture, Joshua Ramus, Threshold Acoustics, Odeh Engineers, Shawmut Design and Construction, GlennRieder, Texas Scenic Company, Niscon, Gala Systems, IGUS, Jezet, Serapid, and Professional Audio Design.