Enrollment in MIT’s Theater Arts program has more than doubled in recent years. As it has grown, the program has become dispersed, occupying not only E33 (the Rinaldi Tile Building) but also various other spaces around campus, including spaces in Walker Memorial, Building 4, Building 10, and Kresge Auditorium.

With E33 slated for demolition as part of MIT’s Kendall Square project, MIT had an opportunity to create a space that consolidates and anchors the Theater Arts program. This solution has taken shape within the walls of a former warehouse at 345 Vassar Street (W97).

To house and support the relocated Theater Arts program, W97’s systems and infrastructure have been upgraded, and the interior now includes rehearsal spaces, design and faculty studios, offices, costume and scene design shops, dressing rooms, and a two-story theater performance space. The design respects and integrates the original structure and its utilitarian ethos, providing flexible “blank slate” space that can be shaped and reshaped for specific performances and/or to accommodate changing uses.

Sustainability was also a project priority, with the goal of achieving LEED Gold certification. Sustainable elements include new windows and roofing, a solar-ready building, LED lighting with occupancy sensors, and upgraded HVAC systems.