CSU Performing Arts Center Project Notes

Introduction

The purpose of designing a performing arts center on the CSU campus is to provide adequate capacity and higher quality sound and aesthetics compared to existing structures in the region. MASK Engineering considered accessibility, cost-effectiveness, location, and efficient use of space. The intent was to preserve the open space of the CSU campus and design the complex to blend with its surroundings.

MASK Engineering believes this project will greatly benefit both the CSU campus and the surrounding Fort Collins community. Such a facility will improve the performing arts programs on campus, directly affecting students and professors in the music, theater, and dance programs, potentially increasing enrollment in these disciplines. There are approximately 230 students in the performing arts programs at CSU right now, and the available space is inadequate for their performances. The new complex will provide the necessary space and continue the growth of these programs, making CSU a leader in performing arts education.

These changes at the university will result in a heightened cultural awareness in the community. Currently, community events are held at the Lincoln Center, while CSU-sponsored events are held at the Lory Student Center theater. A new facility will bring community and university events together and allow a greater variety of outside events to be brought to Fort Collins. Locating this complex on campus will increase student attendance due to the elimination of transportation problems.

MASK Engineering focused on the structural and acoustical aspects of the CSU Performing Arts Center, while hiring other firms to handle parking, mechanical and electrical operations, and utilities. A cable-stayed support system has been chosen, and a floor plan has been drawn up to produce the best acoustical results. A. L. handled the acoustical aspects, while S.C., K.N., and M.B. concentrated on the structural plans. Construction is planned to begin within the next few years.

Location

The site chosen for the Colorado State University Performing Arts Center is the plot of land upon which Green Hall now stands (Figure 1). This area was chosen primarily for its location on the CSU campus and its proximity to the downtown area. Green Hall is a condemned building and is not currently used for anything beyond university storage. Some office space has been granted to the branch of the CSUPD dealing with parking violations, but this department could easily move back to its old location at Aylesworth Hall. The firm believes that this space would be better used as a home for the performing arts than as the site of a crumbling warehouse.

Possible disturbances during construction were considered due to the proximity of Green Hall to Allison Hall and Parmelee Hall. Construction will begin early in the summer, after classes have ended, with Green Hall being torn down first. This will allow a good start on the project while students are not living in the nearby residence halls. According to the front desk at Braiden Hall, located near the Morgan Library construction site, residents do not have a problem with noise, and there have been no complaints of disturbances. MASK Engineering believes that this will be the case for the residents in Allison and Parmelee when they return in the fall as the performing arts center is finished.

Cable-stayed Technology

A cable-stayed support system was chosen for the design of the CSU Performing Arts Center. One reason for choosing this system was to allow for a more compact facility because the space available on campus was limited. Another reason was to give patrons an unobstructed view of events by eliminating the need for columns.

The original use of cable-stayed technology was seen in bridges. German engineers established the design of cable-stayed bridges in the 1950's and 1960's. This technology was eventually adapted to buildings, using cables to support the roof. Each tower is buttressed by two sets of cables, transferring the load into the ground. Without a roof load to support, columns are not needed in the complex and the space can be used in more ways.

The concept behind cable-stayed technology is to have the supporting reactions to the load directed in only vertical directions as opposed to vertical and horizontal. It also eliminates any tension and/or compression force (Figures 3.1 and 3.2). For a building, the load of the roof is directed through the cables, to the towers, and down to the ground. The walls do not support the roof as they normally would; only the cables are used to hold up the roof. An example of a cable-stayed building is the Alamodome, a multipurpose stadium in San Antonio, Texas (Figure 3.3). The model is based on this design.