Concord Academy Opens Centennial Arts Center, Redefining the Campus Core
Concord Academy’s new Centennial Arts Center marks a transformative moment for the school—born from a campus-wide planning process led by studioDSK to enhance performing arts, strengthen campus connections, and enrich the student experience.
This spring, Concord Academy marked the completion of its Centennial Arts Center, a major milestone in the School’s century-long story and a transformative moment for its campus.
The new facility isn’t just a building; it’s the culmination of a years-long process to reimagine how space, programming, and student life intersect at the heart of Concord’s historic campus. Guided by the school’s Strategic Plan, studioDSK partnered with leadership and the Board of Trustees to develop a Space Utilization Plan (SUP) that was aspirational, transformative, and achievable, an intentional roadmap toward the School’s next hundred years.
Our work began with the facilities team to ground the process. Benchmarking revealed what many at CA already sensed: the campus had long been operating with extraordinary efficiency, “measuring in square inches rather than square feet.” That clarity laid the foundation for creative, strategic interventions that could unlock new potential without compromising the school’s character.
Four core priorities emerged from the SUP process:
• Science – A need to modernize underperforming lab spaces for today’s curriculum
• Front Door – A fragmented main building lacking a clear point of arrival
• Residential Life – Historic homes requiring thoughtful rebalancing and upgrades
• Performing Arts – A facility falling short on both condition and program quality
The Centennial Arts Center [CAC] is the boldest of these interventions. It responds directly to the identified gaps in Concord’s performing arts program while anchoring a more intentional, pedestrian-focused campus core. The new center offers students and faculty a space that matches the energy and ambition of the school’s creative culture, purpose-built, expressive, and fully integrated into daily campus life.
For studioDSK, the CAC represents what thoughtful planning and design can do: amplify a school’s values, enrich student experience, and knit together tradition and innovation in built form. We're proud to have helped shape this chapter of Concord Academy’s evolving story.
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