“The Kennedy Center’s expansion project, now with a $250 million fundraising campaign, will open Sept. 7, 2019,” writes Peggy McGlone in Tuesday’s (6/5) Washington Post. The building was originally scheduled to open in May 2017. “Arts center officials offered the first glimpse of the building Tuesday at a hard-hat tour…. Under construction on 4.6 acres south of the original facility, the building will encourage interaction between artists and audiences with glass-walled classrooms and studios, Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter said…. To be called the Reach … the building is mostly underground but marked by three white concrete pavilions that dot the hill that slopes away from Edward Durell Stone’s 1971 building. Two levels of studios, rehearsal rooms and lobby spaces can be used for multiple purposes…. The discovery of hazardous soil and the decision to address issues related to D.C. Water’s Clean Rivers Project during construction—to minimize future work on the site—added to the delays. The design’s swooping concrete walls also proved a challenge, Rutter said, noting that design mock-ups took extra time.… The project is being funded entirely with private donations, including a $50 million gift from Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein.”
Posted June 6, 2018
