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  4. The Lindemann Performing Arts Center

The Lindemann Performing Arts Center at Brown University is a groundbreaking venue that seamlessly blends architecture, technology, and the arts. With its floating glass lobby and dynamic, multi-functional performance hall, the center is pushing the boundaries of what a performance venue can be. Open since 2023, it stands as a symbol of collaboration, sustainability, and ingenuity.

A window into creativity

When Grace, a talented young writer, secured her place at the prestigious Brown University, she was excited to develop her creativity and craft. What she found has exceeded her expectations, with a chance to connect with artists from all disciplines, including musicians, dancers and theatre-makers, in a unique creative space – The Lindemann.

“I’ve never really seen a building like this. I primarily work in writing, but being in a space that incorporates things like music and dance has been so inspiring. It really encourages me to push the boundaries of my projects,” says Grace, Writer and Brown University Student.

Imagine walking past a performing arts center where the building itself feels like a stage. Through a seamless glass façade, artists can be seen collaborating in a way that makes everyone feel like part of the experience. The Lindemann Performing Arts Center brings people together by opening a window into the creativity inside, connecting the arts and the community.

When Brown University set its sights on a new arts center, the leadership had clear ideas on what they needed: a versatile, world-class performance and teaching space that would inspire experimentation and connect with the community—all within a compact footprint that would fit neatly in the heart of a busy campus.

We were brought on as engineers to take on this incredible challenge, working closely with architecture firm REX and Shawmut Design and Construction, as well as the Brown Arts Institute, to bring the vision to life.

Location

  • Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Client

  • Brown Arts Institute

Project Status

  • Opened October 2023
From the outset, we knew this building would be unique in the world. Our goal was to create and deliver something that celebrated the university’s spirit of innovation, creativity and desire to do new things. Incorporating unique design elements that would draw interest from the campus, patrons and the community alike was foundational.
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Image credit: Iwan Baan

A design that connects and inspires

Creating a building that would connect with its surroundings without compromising on sound was quite a feat. The solution? A ribbon of high-performance glass that circles the hall and lobby, inviting the outside in while preserving acoustic integrity.

Instead of walls or pillars, a steel truss runs along the window, supported at the four corners. The fluted aluminum upper structure seems to float above the glass – a piece of technical virtuosity that looks almost like magic.

Thanks to a second marvel of engineering, the glass cantilevered lobby itself also appears suspended in the air. “The first time we saw the floating lobby design, we thought there must be a mistake – no columns? But the architects said, ‘No, this is exactly what we want.’ And we made it happen. It’s one of the few projects in the world that can claim this level of innovation,” says David Odeh, Senior VP WSP, Senior Structural Engineer.

Performance without limits

But the real design revolution is the hall itself, which can transform into five distinct configurations, the first of its kind in the world. Thanks to movable gantries, retractable acoustic curtains, stage lifts and seating wagons, the space adapts from a 625-seat orchestra hall to a flat-floor space and other layouts in between.

“The approach that we took to the Brown Performing Arts Center was one that was very future-oriented. We needed a space that could almost be a chameleon, could change its shape, depending on the needs of the community,” says David Odeh, Senior VP WSP, Senior Structural Engineer.

The Lindemann can also host multiple events at the same time – one of the only venues in the world with the level of internal acoustic isolation that makes this possible.

It has a 6 Star Green Star Design rating for sustainability, with thoughtful use of materials and intelligent, energy-saving design throughout.

A catalyst for collaboration

The Lindemann Performing Arts Center, with its 101,000 feet of multifunctional space, is already shaping the future of arts and architecture, setting a new standard for performance venues worldwide.

“At Brown, we see the arts as a catalyst for creativity, discovery and innovation. This new Performing Arts Center will attract the best faculty, visiting artists and students to Brown and provide them with the necessary diversity of spaces to experiment, work and perform,” says Christina H. Paxson, Brown University President.

From October 2023 to July 2024, over 13,000 people visited The Lindemann, with about 10,000 attending 58 unique events in the Main Hall. 14 different student groups used the rehearsal spaces, including the Performance Lab and Movement Lab. The building is in constant use, hosting world-class performances and providing a unique teaching and rehearsal space, where artists, students and the community can collaborate in new ways.

It’s more than just a space for art; it’s a celebration of the creative spirit, a place that challenges the status quo and invites everyone to be part of the story.

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Image credit: Iwan Baan

Meet the Visioneers

David Odeh led a team covering a vast range of backgrounds and disciplines, from acoustic specialists and theatrical engineers to digital modelling experts. For him, this has been the project of a lifetime, embodying the ways engineering can serve society by reinventing what’s possible.
As engineers we have a responsibility to have a positive impact on the future and make the world a better place. At The Lindemann Performing Arts Center, its mission is to bring together a diverse group of people to make art that expresses ideas in a new way. It’s the relationship that’s formed between space and people that really makes the building sing.

Other challenges that we have overcome

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