As the world connects and disconnects with the evolution of technology, the onset of war, and rapid development, performance arts offer an avenue for self-expression, cultural preservation, and social commentary. They cultivate creativity, empathy, and critical thinking, fostering a vibrant and interconnected community. From theatre to dance, these forms of expression transcend language, enriching our collective human experience and promoting unity amidst diversity.

The places that recognise and cultivate these arts become vital organs of the fabric of society. The Lindemann Performing Arts Center at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, United States, is the latest addition to this network of centres. Situated at the heart of Brown's campus, it hosts year-round programmes, rehearsals, research-focused courses, collaborations, community partnerships, and BAI commissions. The strategic location, adjacent to other arts-centred academic facilities, creates a hub that fosters artistic exploration and collaboration.

Designed by the New York-based studio REX and nestled centrally in the Perelman Arts District, this 101,000 sq-foot structure is a truly unique architectural feat. A true fusion of cutting-edge design and functionality, the Lindemann is more than a venue; it represents a commitment to fostering a vibrant community dedicated to the arts. The facility boasts five distinct pre-set spatial configurations—Experimental Media, Recital, End Stage, Orchestra, and Flat Floor—each meticulously designed to accommodate a diverse array of performances, installations, and programs. This flexibility ensures that the space caters to the varied needs of Brown's creative communities, including arts departments, ensembles, and student arts groups.

The Lindemann's architectural strength extends beyond its pre-set configurations. Led by Joshua Ramus, the studio created a ground-breaking performance typology where all six surfaces of the main hall—floor, ceiling, and four walls—can physically and acoustically modulate through automated and manually assisted performance equipment. This innovation not only caters to the university's diverse pedagogical needs but also establishes The Lindemann as a tool for expanding artistic offerings.

The exterior of The Lindemann, a symphony of aluminium and glass, lives in perfect harmony with the historic surroundings while making the arts visible to the campus. The fluted aluminium façade, intersected by a stage-level "clearstory," invites passers-by to witness the creation of art within. Leo Villareal's Infinite Composition, a dynamic light installation, further enhances the visual allure of the centre.

The Lindemann is a transformative space that expertly blends innovation, adaptability, and artistic excellence.

In conversation with STIR, Joshua Ramus, Founding Principal of REX, expands on the design process of the automated building.

Pooja Suresh Hollannavar: The Lindemann is described as incorporating a new performance typology invented collaboratively by REX, Theatre Projects, and Threshold Acoustics. Could you elaborate on what inspired this design approach?

Joshua Ramus: In 2017, Brown University created the Brown Arts Institute (BAI) to support all things experimental, forward-thinking, and cutting-edge in the arts; facilitate collaboration across arts departments and other academic fields; and engage activist artists and scholars whose work responds to contemporary issues. Housing performances, teaching, and research for music, theatre, dance, and media, The Lindemann is the physical manifestation of BAI’s vision, an incubator for both traditional and experimental art and media. BAI’s manifold users required a space with radical spatial, acoustic, and technical flexibility—transforming amongst Experimental Media, Recital, End Stage, and Flat Floor configurations—while maintaining intimacy (typically 350 audience members or smaller). However, Brown also lacked a dedicated performance space suitable for many medium and large ensembles that already exist across academic programs and student organisations. The Lindemann had to meet these needs, most notably an Orchestra configuration for joint performances by Brown’s renowned 100-piece symphony orchestra and 80-singer chorus, with audiences of up to 625. To house these five varied stage-audience configurations (and an array of potential secondary modes) within a single space, all six surfaces of The Lindemann’s shoebox-shaped main hall modulate physically and acoustically through automated and manually assisted performance equipment.

Pooja: The facility boasts five pre-set spatial configurations that enhance the versatility of how the centre is used throughout the year. What were some of the most challenging aspects of designing to cater to such diverse needs?

Joshua: The most challenging aspects of designing the radically flexible venue were technical resolutions of the automated and manually assisted performance equipment. It includes five suspended, four-tier seating gantries (two tiers for audience members and two for technical staff), 40 adjustable acoustic reflector panels, seven motorised utility battens, three lighting bridges, two stage lifts, three orchestra platform lifts, six telescoping orchestra risers, three seating wagon lifts, a three-unit retractable seating system, five seating wagons, a ring of deployable acoustic curtains, and a complete technical gridiron fifty-five feet above the floor. The main hall transforms into any of the five primary configurations with only five technicians in three hours.

Pooja: In addition to being a home for the performing arts, the structure also houses a light installation by Leo Villareal. Did you design around the installation or did the installation become a part of the design at a later stage?

Joshua: We believe art should be integrated into our architecture during design, not applied afterwards. Brown feels the same way. We therefore collectively looked for opportunities within the design process to engage an artist. The structural resolution of the lobby cantilever created the unusual condition of tightly spaced columns within the space (the columns are the vertical members of two-way Vierendeel trusses). We saw this forest of columns as an unusual and exciting opportunity to immerse patrons within an artwork, and so engaged Leo Villareal.

Pooja: Considering the size and dynamic functionality, along with Brown University’s broader commitment to environmental responsibility, how does the design address the growing requirements of sustainability in building design?

Joshua: The Lindemann is LEED Silver equivalent, meaning Brown committed to achieving the metrics that would allow the building to meet that goal, but elected not to go through the costly process of having it certified as such. The building’s radical flexibility also reflects the university’s commitment to sustainability. The Lindemann is effectively five buildings in one, saving valuable land and optimising human resources. Its adaptability also allows it to respond to as-yet-unknown future uses.

Pooja: The incorporation of automated and manually assisted performance equipment in the Lindemann is new and intriguing. How does this automation contribute to the adaptability of the centre?

Joshua: All six surfaces of The Lindemann’s shoebox-shaped main hall modulate physically and acoustically to create five pre-set configurations—and an array of potential secondary modes—to push the boundaries of innovation in performance space to inspire new forms of art-making and artistic collaboration. In this radically flexible yet extremely precise arts “laboratory,” performance is not the final product, but another piece of vital research in the creation—and pedagogy—of ground-breaking art and arts leaders. The five pre-set configurations can accommodate Brown’s 100-piece orchestra (with a 70-person chorus), individual recitals, major theatrical productions, immersive video/ scenic projection (with 40-channel ambisonic audio), digital cinema, and traditional lectures and receptions, among many other options. The main hall seats 275 people in the end-stage configuration, 388 for recitals, and 530 in the orchestra configuration.

Pooja: The Lindemann is positioned as a hub of creative activity on campus. Are there aspects in the design that specifically target community and collaboration?

Joshua: Embodying Brown’s commitment to infusing the arts into all intellectual pursuits, a clerestory slices through the entire building at stage level, allowing—when desired—the campus to witness performances, rehearsals, and research, and for the university at large to vicariously engage the constant creation of art. Light can be completely blocked by a perimeter drape.

One story up from the street, the clerestory cantilevers on three sides of the building, creating sheltered outdoor spaces for events, performances, and gatherings, while inside the building it houses the Diana Nelson and John Atwater Lobby, a promenade with direct views to the main hall, and an assembly area for performers that can serve as a more intimate lobby.

On the lower level, the building contains three additional rehearsal spaces that double as venues. An orchestra rehearsal room doubles as a 135-seat performance space for smaller ensembles, a dance rehearsal room doubles as a 98-seat informal dance performance space, and a theatre rehearsal room doubles as an intimate 50-seat performance space. Each of these spaces is equipped with infrastructure to support lectures, presentations, academic and extracurricular activities, and special projects involving motion capture, immersive video, and multi-channel audio.

The Lindemann Performing Arts Center at Brown University is a living, breathing building that harmonises integration of innovation, adaptability, and artistic excellence. As it transforms to accommodate diverse performances while fostering collaboration and community engagement, this 101,000 sq-foot structure is just as much a piece of technological ingenuity as it is an example of architectural intellect. It symbolises a commitment to cultivating a vibrant artistic community, enriching the human experience, and promoting unity through the transcendent language of the performing arts.

Project Details

Name: The Lindemann Performing Arts Center
Location: Rhode Island, USA
Year of completion: 2023
Design Firm: REX
Design Team: Tim Carey, Adam Chizmar (Project Leader), Maur Dessauvage, Alvaro Gomez-Selles, Kelvin Ho, Sebastian Hofmeister (Project Leader) Lara Isaac, Nicolas Lee, Alfonso Simelio Jurado, Kelsey Olafson, Joshua Ramus (Principal Designer), Davis Richardson, Raúl Rodríguez García, Anne Strüwing, Kevin Thomas (Project Leader), Matthew Uselman, Teng Xing
Vibration consultant: Acentech
MEP engineer: ARUP
Sustainability consultant: Atelier Ten
Cost management consultant: Cost+Plus
Specifications Consultant: CSI
Fall arrest consultant: Diversified
Façade consultant: Front
Geotechnical engineer: GEI
Code, fire Protection, & life safety consultant: Jensen Hughes
Lighting design consultant: L'Observatoire International
Consulting structural engineer: Magnusson Klemencic
Structural engineer of record: Odeh
Security & IT consultant: Skyline
Vertical transportation consultant: Soberman
Building commissioning consultant: Stephen Turner
Landscape Architect: Stimson
Signage & wayfinding consultant: Studio Loutsis
Theater design & stage equipment consultant: Theatre Projects
LEED consultant: Thornton Tomasetti
Acoustical & audio/video consultant: Threshold Acoustics
Civil engineer: Vanasse Hangen Brustlin
Civil engineer: Woodard & Curran
Construction manager: Shawmut Design & Construction