Jane Pickens Theater Building Chosen as Subject of New RISD Interior Architecture Studio
09/01/2011
PROVIDENCE,RI – The Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center
is proud to announce that the building has been chosen as the subject of a new studio
in the Department of Interior Architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design
(RISD) to study adaptive reuse. The
building was one of four buildings considered for this program. This study will focus on the preservation,
code and economic challenges presented in the operation of a historic building
in an urban environment. The JPT
building was chosen due to its history as one of the oldest theater buildings
in America, its urban issues, programming, community involvement, economic
viability and its high value for the revitalization of its neighborhood.
The students involved in this studio are currently in a
seminar class on general topics of adaptive reuse. In January and February further historical
and building documentation of the Jane Pickens Theater will be done. The actual studio, along with its theoretical
seminar, will be in the spring semester from February 20 to May 24, 2012.
The
MA program in Interior Architecture (Adaptive Reuse) at RISD focuses on creative transformations,
adaptations and/or expansions of existing buildings. The Adaptive Reuse Studio in Newport, made
possible in part by a grant to RISD from the van Beuren Charitable Foundation,
affords students an opportunity for a real world application at an iconic local
venue in the inaugural year or its Adaptive Reuse degree.
About the Jane
Pickens Theater & Event Center
The Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center is the center
for film and cultural happenings in the Newport area. Built as the Zion Episcopal Church in 1834,
the Pickens has operated as a theater since 1923 and is one of the oldest
theater buildings in America. The Jane
Pickens Theater & Event Center is available for rentals, parties,
fundraisers, screenings and even weddings. www.janepickens.com
About Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design
(RISD) has earned an international reputation as the leading college of art and
design in the United States. Approximately 2,400 students from around the world
study at RISD, pursuing full-time bachelor’s or master’s degree programs in a
choice of 19 studio majors. RISD is known for its
phenomenal faculty of artists and designers, the breadth of its specialized
facilities and its hands-on, studio-based approach to learning – one in which
critical thinking informs making works by hand. Required courses in the liberal
arts provide an essential complement to studio work, enabling graduates to
become critical and informed individuals eager to engage with the world.
Through the accomplishments of its 26,000 alumni, the college champions the
vital role artists and designers play in satisfying the global demand for
innovation. Founded in 1877, RISD (pronounced “RIZ-dee”) and the RISD Museum of
Art help make Providence, RI among the most culturally active and creative
cities in the region. For more information visit www.risd.edu
or our.risd.edu