02 · Berklee College of Music Performance Center

SPOTLIGHT

SPOTLIGHT proposes a performance and learning center for Berklee College of Music at a prominent urban intersection in Boston. The project explores how the often-hidden processes of musical practice and production might become visible within the city.

A 1,200-seat theater and a 400-seat black box anchor the lower levels, while spaces for rehearsal, education, and creative exchange extend vertically through the building. Through a continuous circulation loop, sectional openings, and calibrated daylight, the architecture brings performing, practicing, and observing into closer dialogue, transforming the building into an urban stage for musical life.

SPOTLIGHT — City as a Stage
SPOTLIGHT — City as a Stage
Location
130 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA
Year
Fall 2024
Role
Individual Work
Instructor
Eric Höweler, Harvard GSD

The Performative Loop

  • Circulation as Performance: The looping path links public venues with spaces for learning and musical production, offering shifting perspectives into the activities unfolding throughout the building.
  • Practice and Presentation: Sectional openings and framed views reveal moments of rehearsal and creative exchange, extending the experience of performance beyond the theater.
  • Public Interface: The circulation sequence connects the main theater, flexible black box, and shared public spaces, culminating in an observation deck overlooking the city.
  • A continuous circulation path connects the building's vertically organized programs, creating a sequence of spaces for movement, encounter, and observation.
Program Diagram
Program Diagram
Program Stack Model
Program Stack Model
Circulation Diagram
Circulation Diagram

Performative Façade & Climate

The terracotta façade responds to solar orientation through calibrated openings, mediating daylight, visibility, and the relationship between the building and the surrounding city.

  • Day: Filtered daylight enters through selectively positioned apertures, creating shifting patterns of illumination that evoke the theatrical quality of a spotlight.
  • Night: Illuminated interior spaces become visible from the street, allowing the building's everyday musical activities to contribute to the urban experience.
Building Section
Building Section
Terracotta Façade Study
Terracotta Façade Study
Elevation Illustration
Elevation Illustration

Models

  • Conceptual Model — 1/32" = 1'-0"
  • Section Models — 1/16" = 1'-0"
  • Façade Fragment Model — 1/4" = 1'-0"
Section Model
Section Model
Section Model
Section Model
Façade Fragment Model
Façade Fragment Model

The spotlight is not always visible; it emerges through the act of looking.

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