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'62 Center Wins Architectural Award03:44PM / Friday, January 18, 2008
WILLIAMSTOWN - The national American Institute of Architects has presented its national AIA 2008 Honor Award for Interior Architecture to the Williams College
'62 Center for Theatre and Dance and its architects, William Rawn Associates, Architect Inc. of Boston.
Ten projects around the country have been so honored in this category this year. The award will be given to Williams and the architects at the AIA Convention in May; it was announced Jan. 4.
"We were fortunate to have an architect as talented as Bill Rawn to express so functionally and so beautifully the vision for this project set by the college and by lead donor Herbert Allen," said Morton Owen Schapiro, president of Williams College. "This award is further indication that the '62 Center for Theatre and Dance will benefit students, faculty, staff, alumni, and local residents for generations to come."
The award focused on the building's four major performance venues together with the lobbies and the interior public passageways that connect the entire building. The awards jury commented: "From the lightness of the dance studio with its soaring views to the machinelike flexibility of the black box theater, each space is functionally and aesthetically suited for its use."
This represents the fifth and most prestigious AIA award that the '62 Center has received since its opening. Others include the 2006 Honor Award of the New England AIA and three separate awards from the Boston Society of Architects (covering the state of Massachusetts) for General Design, for Interiors and for Educational Facilities.
The '62 Center was also selected as one of two buildings nominated to represent the United States at the 2007 Prague Quadrennial for Theater Design (the other being Frank Gehry's Center at Bard College).
This is the ninth national AIA Honor Award that William Rawn Associates, Architects has received since 1994.
"We are deeply indebted to everyone at Williams College for this award," said William Rawn. "For us, it is a very satisfying affirmation of President Schapiro's commitment to the project and the support of the trustees and the theater and dance faculty for the building design." |
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