The new Language and Performing Arts Center at CWA is within weeks of completion.  Inside, painting and polishing are about all that’s left to finish.  Outside, the landscaping and installation of railings is well under way.

With so many students, parents, teachers and alumni off campus this summer, the blog seems like a good place for a virtual tour.  Remember to save Saturday, September 12, 2009, for the big opening show!  Here’s a sneak peak at what you’ll see…

CWA students love to spend as much time outside as possible — rain or shine — so the new building features a lot of outdoor seating, some covered and some open to whatever the sky sends.   Most of this very usable space is between the new building and the Upper School.  Railings, installed this week, will be painted black.

The terraced hillside between the new building and the Upper School’s west wing, the Aaron Reynolds Technology Suite, provides an outdoor performance and classroom space that will undoubtedly get a lot of use on nice days.

The lobby of the new building is stunning.  With windows on two sides reaching from the floor to the top of the vaulted ceiling, three warm paint colors on the walls, and lots of exposed wood on the railings and ceiling, it promises to become a new center of activity for students and teachers.  It isn’t hard to imagine a string quartet playing in balcony as the audience gathers for a play or students studying together on the cozy corner bench.

A wide hallway leads from the lobby to the English and performing arts classrooms on the main floor.  A staircase with a beautiful wood floor heads down to the lower level where the foreign language classrooms are located.  Light wells bring a lot of natural sunlight into the hallways on both floors, help regulate the temperature of the building, and provide a unique showcase for student art.

With the exception of a few punch-list items, the eight English and foreign language classrooms are finished.  White boards and bulletin boards hang on the walls.  New chairs and desks have arrived.  Digital projects have been installed.

Furniture has also arrived in the English and foreign language department offices and conference rooms.  Shelves have been installed in the workroom the faculty will share.

The performing arts classrooms are almost finished as well.  Acoustic panels hang on the walls.  Even the piano has arrived!  It’s now easy to see how big windows onto the classrooms and hallways make the four rehearsal rooms very usable spaces.

Of course, one of the programs that will most benefit from the new building is drama.  The shop is huge.  Absolutely huge.  And this giant door leads from the shop to the theater, ensuring that sets can be moved easily from one space to another.

The crown jewel of the new building is the new black box theater.  The space can be configured many different ways, seating more than 250 with a full stage and 400 for assemblies.  Students studying theater tech will learn how to operate all these systems.  The risers have arrived and the space is currently configured with seating on three sides of the stage.

On the backside of the building, landscaping work continues and blacktop has been poured for the new student parking lots.  That’s right, no more parking on gravel!

Remember, save Saturday, September 12, for the opening show in the new building!  Ticket sales will begin soon.