Emerson College, Tufte Performance and Production Center

In early 2000, Auerbach Pollock Friedlander began working with Emerson College on new facilities to support the final phase of the college’s move from its location in the Back Bay section of Boston to the downtown theatre district. The Tufte Performance and Production Center was the first new building constructed by Emerson College in its 124-year history.

Auerbach Pollock Friedlander provided master planning, programming, complete theatre consulting and audio-video systems consulting for the 11-story facility, which houses the 216-seat Semel Theatre with thrust stage, the 108-seat Green Theatre with an end-stage configuration, associated support spaces for the Theater Department and two studios for the Department of Television, Radio, and Film. The facility also includes a lighting lab, large costume shop, scene shop, design classrooms, faculty and departmental offices and conference rooms.

Creating state-of-the-art facilities within a multi-story building with a small footprint required the design team to work closely together and to pay special attention to all technological elements and circulation, as well as the use of every available space. The result is one of the most advanced production and post-production installations in a facility of higher learning in the country.

Architect: Elkus | Manfredi
Acoustics: Kirkegaard Associates
Size: 80,000 SF
Completion: 2003