Boston Performence Center

The project proposes a performance center in East Boston designed to accommodate 500–1,000 members of the local community. It explores how performance, cultural meaning, and material intelligence can converge within a contemporary architectural framework. A tectonic design language is employed to reinterpret the initial massing proposal in response to the urban context and to articulate the relationships between theater programs. The project adopts geometric discretization as a core design method, investigating how complex forms can be constructed through iterative model testing and fabrication studies.

The building’s form is inspired by a tent-like structure. The outer envelope behaves like a fluid fabric surface, mediating between interior and exterior space. The façade incorporates varying degrees of transparency and opacity to balance visual openness with spatial separation. This envelope is composed of an array of cone-shaped volumes that house dressing rooms, offices, studios, and restrooms. These cones are structurally supported by rib systems at each level. The performance center includes three types of theaters designed to support drama, concerts, and a wide range of community events. Flexibility is a key feature of the project. The second-floor performance space can operate either as an independent theater or transform into a balcony for the main auditorium. This transformation is enabled by a kinetic stage system within the fly tower, allowing the stage platform to be lifted or lowered to reconfigure the spatial relationship between levels. Seating configurations are optimized through parametric design tools to enhance sightlines and spatial efficiency.