The Visual and Performing Arts Center at Western Connecticut State University combines the art, music, and theatre arts departments within three architecturally distinct wings connected by a multi-tiered public lobby. The facility combines performance, academic, and public spaces in one integrated venue.
The concert hall seats 350 and features variable acoustics, advanced performance lighting and audio, 5:1 HD recording capabilities, and two concert grand pianos: a Steinway Model D (Hamburg) and a Yamaha CFX. The main stage theatre includes a 38-foot proscenium, an orchestra pit for up to 30 musicians, and a full rigging system with 51 manual line sets. Lighting and sound systems include more than 400 ETC fixtures, Varilite and Martin automated lighting, Eos consoles, and Digico audio controls.
The recording studio features a Solid State Logic Duality audio console, a live room with two isolation booths, and a Yamaha CF4 Grand Piano. Digital recording is possible from any of the building’s five audio-equipped performance and rehearsal spaces.
Other program elements include instructional spaces for music and studio art, an art gallery with floor-to-ceiling windows, a Panelock System 200 display system, a centralized box office, a shared public lobby, and administrative and faculty offices.
Photography: © Robert Benson Photography
