Performance+Hall+Analysis

=ENGL 7741: Digital Media and Literacy Assignment #3= Kim Moulton, David White, Kevin McKenzie

=Dr. Bobbie Bailey & Family Performance Center: An Analysis of Interior Space= ====For this assignment, we chose to examine and analyze one of the most unusual buildings on the Kennesaw State University campus: the Dr. Bobbie Bailey & Family Performance Center. Standing as a huge, looming presence on a hilltop to the north of the campus, the windowless hall presents a plain and uninviting facade that is enigmatic and which stands in stark contrast to other more elaborate-looking buildings added to the campus in the last five years. However, appearances can be deceptive: we discovered that the charms of the building are inside; an interior space that perfectly blends form and function, and which speaks to the purpose of the building far more than any elaborate facade could. In this report, we begin with a brief description of the exterior in order to contextualize our more detailed analysis of the public interior spaces.====

Part 1: Exterior
The exterior of the building: points of interest = prominence of the name, diminutive main entrance, lack of ornate decoration, geometric rigidity

Structure and Components

 * ====An imposing, austere exterior comprising a tall main stuccoed structure and a large lower sandstone-colored brick annex to the main building. There are no dedicated windows: the only windows can be found at the two entrances to the foyer. The main entrance, pictured above, is recessed and covered to protect it from the elements (giving visitors a space to shake water droplets from coats and umbrellas should they arrive during a rain shower). Given the size of the building (approximately 150 feet high) the main public entrance to the foyer is relatively small, even diminutive: there is also a matching back/side entrance to the foyer, and large equipment entrances at rear and at stage left. The four vertical rectangular panels presented by the two side windows and two doors of the matching public entrances are a motif that repeats inside. The only adornment is the donor/building name and vertical lines formed by recessed brick columns. The name of the building is large and prominent in brown lettering. Courtyard landscaping softens the geometric block form of the building, but also "hides" both the name and entrance doors to a limited extent. There is little to suggest the function of the building to the untrained eye of campus visitors unless they view it from the performance center parking lot, from which the name may be seen.====

** Intent **

 * ====Due to its plain appearance, the building's exterior seems to draw attention away from itself: it is nothing to look at especially when compared to other recent additions to the campus. The tan/sandstone coloring of the bricks and the cream-colored stucco match the color palette of all other buildings on the KSU campus, contributing further to its unassuming stance. The relative smallness of the main entrance is in stark contrast to the large exterior, both disguising and suggesting the size of the interior. The brown lettering of the building name is relatively understated but prominent enough to be visible from the road. The narrow columns of recessed brick interrupt the horizontal flow of the building's name but also underscore the right angles and straight lines. To visitors who understand what activities take place within the building, the exterior design is a clear case of form following function. The harsh geometric rigidity of the exterior gives no indication of the size, shape, or style of interior spaces that await visitors inside the doors of the main entrance.====

** Impact **

 * ====Striking in its uncompromising, monolithic simplicity, the only aspect of the exterior that stands out is the fact that nothing about it really stands out. The brown letters of the building name, though framed by the narrow columns, do not stand out or command much attention in themselves. In comparison to the largeness of the building's front, the main entrance strikes the observer as quite understated and perhaps merely functional. It is not a building to visually admire or appreciate from outside. The appearance emphasizes that the visitors are coming for an auditory experience, not to be shocked and awed by visual interest. A different sense is called for--once visitors go inside.====

Part 2: Anna F. Henriquez Atrium
1.Inside main entrance .................................................. 2. Looking to gallery: note "Leaning Man" found again ..... 3. The side/rear doors: note position of sculpture

Structure and Components

 * ====The atrium is a long rectangular space with doors on each of the four walls. Upon entry through the main entrance, a visitor will see a matching set of doors at the other end of the space. The height of the ceiling in the atrium is approximately twice that of the entrance-way doors. The proportions of the entrance-way doors are such that each door and adjacent window form a square. Exactly in the middle of the long wall to the left are matching doors again, (four panels of glass, two of which are windows, two doors) opening into the Don Russell Clayton Gallery, a space of similar dimensions to the atrium. Exactly opposite the gallery entrance (on the right, if looking from the main entrance), in the middle of the opposite wall, are four heavy wooden doors to the performance hall (see additional images page). Also to the right, immediately after entering, a visitor will see down a long utility hallway (this hallway holds restrooms, the box office, and continues to non-public areas of the building: for this reason we chose not to consider its form or function for this analysis). The atrium is carpeted, holds four padded benches, and is punctuated by numerous recessed sculptures.====
 * ====One distinguishing feature of the space is a large sculpture in the middle of the floor before the secondary rear/side entrance doors. As seen in image #3 above, this sculpture characterizes the secondary nature of this entrance by effectively and visually blocking the pathway to the doors. Upon exiting the hall, visitors will recognize that they should turn to their left to exit out of the primary entrance. On either side of the interior doors (to the gallery and to the auditorium) are recesses containing rectangular cases that hold sculptures, except in one place where instead of a recess, but within the same width, the utility hallway opens. An axis of symmetry is also evident in the position of the three overhead lights. Overall, the atrium space is characterized by the same geometric rigidity of the exterior, and absolute symmetry comprising straight line visuals in the shape of the floor, ceiling, walls, alcoves, and doors. The only asymmetrical elements in the space of the atrium are the sculptures, all of which present round, flowing free-forms, stark contrast to the straight lines and rectangles with which the atrium is designed.====

Intent

 * ====Bearing in mind that the central function of the atrium is to provide a place for patrons to gather before and after performances, the main intention for the space is to achieve a certain level of comfort. To this end, special attention is paid to symmetry, balance, and functionality. The ordered symmetry of the space conveys to the visitor a certain sense of predictability and comfort. Putting visitors at ease, the regimented tidiness of the room is conducive to casual conversation and socializing due to its lack of distracting elements. Not in the least bit distracting, the sculptures serve as points of interest and artistic stimulation, but also function as a relief from the prevailing straight lines of the structure. The intent here is twofold: to highlight the style of the sculpture through contradistinction with the room's architecture, and to balance out the visual effect within the room. Moreover, the large sculpture on the floor also functions to signal which door is the main entrance. While the intention of including the padded benches is clearly one of utility, the straight line theme is continued through their rectangular shape. However, the atrium is relatively small; it would comfortably accommodate only a fraction of the total number of patrons who may visit to hear a performance. Its primary function, then, is to allow for transition from outside the building to within the performance hall itself. Because such care has been given to the proportions and shapes of the different components in the space of the atrium, it is clear that the space is designed to be beautiful: the function of the space is secondary.====

Impact

 * ====The overall impact of the atrium's architecture is one of symmetry, straight lines, and geometric rigidity. The glass panel doors on either end of the space are each made up of four panels, two of which are doors, and they each extend exactly halfway up the wall. By allowing exactly half of the wall to be covered by glass panels, the design achieves a striking sense of balance. Contributing to the symmetry of the space, the alcoves along the long walls each mirror one another with the exception of the space allowed for the utility hallway. The glass of the gallery doors distinguishes them from the wooden performance hall doors while preserving the impact of symmetry by virtue of their being directly opposite one another. The doors echo the function of each room: glass doors on the art gallery allow visitors to peer through, encouraging them to look at and observe the art, while the solid wooden doors on the performance hall entrance suggest that visuals are no longer important. Instead, the visitors should prepare to listen, not see. ====
 * ==== Though the visual impact of the atrium is clearly of symmetry and straight lines, the sculptures contained in the alcoves, together with the large one on the floor, are noteworthy for their soft edges and lack of straight lines. Furthermore, these sculptures are all made by the same artist, and follow a similar style. None draws more attention than the others, allowing the patrons to focus on socializing before the doors to the performance hall open. The atrium visitor is struck by this distinction which contributes to the sense of balance within the space. The sculptures effectively offset the angular rigidity of the room, creating a harmony of opposites. ====

Part 3. Performance Hall
1. View from main doors: note the curve ..................... 2. Audience space looking to rear ....................... 3. The rationale for the auditorium design is pure acoustics

Structure and Components

 * ====Entrance to the space of the performance hall is through two sets of double wooden doors, the largest doors in the building. Seen from the atrium, the doors seem overly large: when viewed from within the performance hall the scale of the doors is correct and in proportion to the space. (See performance hall images #6, #10, and #16 for comparison.) In the atrium, the the wooden doors are centered on an axis of symmetry for the space as a whole: the first surprise upon entrance to the performance hall is that the doors are positioned asymmetrically at right rear, when looking towards the stage. Strikingly different from the atrium, the performance hall doors open up to an angled walkway; visitors enter from an off-center entrance into a well-organized yet organic space. (See image #19 which shows the flowing curved line created by this entrance-way.) Rows of seats flank either side of the walkway, and many more rows of seats are available in the middle of the hall. The Performance Hall has a capacity of 624 seats, and follows the rules of "European shoebox design, with fixed stage walls and no proscenium [arched ceiling]" ([|www.kennesaw.edu/music/bpc/techspecs.shtml]). The walls of the stage are lined with acoustic pull curtains, that can be adjusted to tune the acoustics. The mezzanine features acoustic doors to further enhance room tuning and acoustics. The stage is raised approximately three feet, causing the audience (especially those in the front rows) to look up slightly to watch the performance. The floor slopes down slowly from the rear to the foot of the stage, allowing for people in the rear rows to be able to see over those individuals seated in front of them. The vertical space of the hall is clearly divided into three: the asymmetric audience level is illuminated by recessed lighting that falls upon acoustic dampening curtains; above this space lie "hanging" acoustic walls comprised of rich, golden wood baffles that encircle the entire space perfectly symmetrically; above this space, seen through the drop ceiling lie the catwalks, lights and other technical equipment. to the rear of the hall in the upper space below the drop ceiling lies the control room, which can be glimpsed through tinted glass.====

Intent

 * ====Almost every important feature of the hall design is based upon the function of the space. Sound rules supreme. The space above the stage and audience is intended to reflect sound evenly throughout the hall with fidelity and clarity. A soft-spoken voice on stage is clearly audible at the rear of the hall. While the gentle drop of the auditorium floor allows for all patrons to see the stage without hindrance, the height of the stage does not allow for every performer to be seen. Those performers (say, in an orchestra) sitting at stage front would, and indeed do, obscure those sitting at the rear. Thus, the performance hall is a place for patrons to hear performances, NOT see. On both sides of the hall lie slightly elevated side "galleries": these, too, do not afford a clear view of performers at the rear of the stage. It is our conclusion, therefore that the entire performance hall is designed for perfect acoustics and it is through the sense of hearing that the space may be most appreciated. The height of the ceiling is scaled for purpose, not people, and while the intent is not to overpower patrons, the vertical dimension it brings to the space is dramatic. The most interesting characteristic of the floor plan is the organic curves created by the main seating area, the side "galleries" and the off-centered entrance walkway. This is the one aspect of the design of the hall in which function follows form. The entrance-way doors could have been placed center rear leading to a center aisle (which would have created corresponding asymmetry in the atrium) or the arrangements of the seating could have been laid out differently, or the relative size of each of the side "galleries" could have been adjusted to create symmetry. Instead the designers chose long sweeping curves, which contrast with the design of the rest of the space. It is a striking design. It is beautiful for its asymmetry, which mimics the free-form asymmetry of nature, and suggests that while symmetry of the upper spaces in the hall might be necessary to perfectly reflect sound waves, the asymmetry of the audience-level space acknowledges both the assonance and dissonance of music, an organic construct.====

Impact

 * ====The shoebox style applies to performance halls of rectangular shape, as opposed to the traditional circular amphitheater, arena, or horseshoe shapes. However, the rounded walls surrounding the main seating area give the impression of being in one of the traditional circular areas. Though the room itself is rectangular, the seats and the walls create a rounded-feeling and appearance, allowing the traditional style to merge with the more modern. Almost all of the design choices assert that patrons come for an extraordinary auditory experience, not a visual one. They need not see all of the performers to enjoy the beauty of the music. Although the floor space is relatively limited, the height of the drop ceiling (necessary in order for sound to carry evenly to all corners of the hall) is dramatic, almost overpowering in its scale. Upon first entering the hall, visitors immediately sense the "wow factor." The only hint in the atrium that a special space existed close by was the extraordinary height of the wooden doors. The contrast in scale is readily apparent when image #8 is compared to image #11. Compared to the strong geometric shapes of the atrium, the hall's asymmetrical sweeping curves at audience level create an intimate organic feel, quite different from that experienced in a movie theater, in which seating is arranged on a symmetrical grid. The hall is beautiful in both its symmetry and asymmetry. Function predominates over form, even in the design or layout of the seating (which responds to the asymmetrically placed entrance doors) but form is given extraordinary consideration, too. The scale of the hall is dramatic and uplifting. Other buildings on the KSU campus hold equally dramatic interior spaces (the atrium in the Burrus Building, for example) but none hold spaces as inviting as those inside the Bobbie Bailey & Family Performance Center. Its interior space arguably qualifies it as the most perfect and beautiful building at Kennesaw State University.====

Related Areas for Inquiry
====The Dr. Bobbie Bailey & Family Performance Hall also has a rehearsal hall located just next door to the main building. It would be interesting to see how the structure of that building, which does not hold public performances, differs from the main hall. Additionally, it might be interesting to compare performance halls across the Metro-Atlanta area -- the Fox Theatre, the Theatre in the Square, etc.====

Relevant Research
>
 * Impact of Architecture on American Families
 * Dr. Bobbie Bailey & Family Performance Hall

Recommendations for Teachers
====Students spend the majority of their days in an inside space of some kind, whether it's at school, their living room, their bed room, their friend's house, or their car. A project of this kind could be used to teach students to look at everything with a more analytical eye. They could explain the architecture of any inside space they would like, and explain how it functions in relation to its intent and impact. They could also compare similar architectural styles between buildings. For example, how might cathedral ceilings in their living room create a similar or different effect from the cathedral ceilings in an actual cathedral?====