Concord Academy - Centennial Arts Center

Concord, Massachusetts

Early Concept Sketch of the Centennial Arts Center

The Centennial Arts Center [CAC] anchors a once-fragmented West Campus and marks Concord Academy’s hundredth year with a forward-looking home for performance, media, and interdisciplinary learning. Designed by studioDSK, the all-electric building reshapes roughly forty percent of the overall campus grounds and welcomes students beginning in Fall 2025. Inside, a reconfigurable Theater with 175 retractable seats supports mainstage theatre, dance, film screenings, class meetings, and more. A light-filled Music Hall offers 75 fixed seats for chorus and chamber music, while the P3 Lab [Process, Presentation, Performance], Digital Production Lab, Ensemble Room, Scene Shop, and thirteen sound-isolated practice studios extend learning beyond the stage. Dressing rooms, instrument storage, and faculty offices give the performing arts program the professional back-of-house space it has long lacked.

A transparent lobby stitches together teaching, rehearsal, and gathering zones, encouraging chance encounters and showcasing student work to the broader community. Landscaped walkways link the CAC to the adjacent Chapel, and Haines, Hobbs, and Bailey Commons. By uniting performance venues, maker spaces, and digital studios under one roof, the Centennial Arts Center empowers students to test ideas, share stories, and collaborate across disciplines. The project embodies Concord Academy’s commitment to creativity, community, and environmental stewardship, setting a new benchmark for arts education on an independent school campus.

Acoustic Consultant

Acentech

Theater Consultant

Martin Vinik Planning for the Arts

Engineering Consultant

Rist-Frost-Shumway Engineering

Science and Engineering

Thorton Thomasetti

Civil Engineer

Oak Consulting Group, LLC

Landscape Architect

Crowley Cottrell, LLC

AV Consultant

Acentech

Redefining West Campus as Part of the Centennial Plan

Composition

Academy Village consists of three buildings used for five faculty residences. Two of the buildings were relocated from the footprint of the new Centennial Arts Center. To prevent the demolition of small yet valuable residences, these buildings were lifted from their foundation, transported by trucks, and placed on new foundations, forming Academy Village. The third residence included an existing garage which was renovated into an additional faculty housing unit.