Project name: Richard and Nancy Donahue Family Academic Arts Center
Project overview: A new performing arts center for Middlesex Community College re-imagines a historic train depot in Lowell as a vibrant piece of the city, restoring the old facades and celebrating a distinctly modern insertion.
Project location: Lowell, Massachusetts
Firm name: Leers Weinzapfel Associates
Project type: Performing Arts Center
Project information: New construction, Addition, Adaptive reuse, Renovation/restoration
Jury comments: The jury found this investment in community, education, and the arts to be the type of transformative work we hope will be emblematic of architecture’s future. We had the privilege of reviewing a project that repurposed an existing building, artfully fulfilling many of the submission requirements, while contributing to a sense of place in a truly transformative manner. As the original build approaches its sesquicentennial, we hope that both Middlesex Community College and the City of Lowell find this to be a catalytic project that enables the future success of both institution and city.
