St. Paul Academy, Huss Center

St. Paul, MN

The Huss Center is a new 39,600 sf building that includes a 650-seat performance hall, 180-seat multi-purpose space and an Arts Commons that acts both as a lobby and student gathering space.

The Center supports music and drama programs for both the middle school and high school, as well as hosting weekly assemblies and lectures for parents and the community.

Working on a tight site with a modest budget, the Center easily accommodates music concerts with up to 200 performers on stage to small drama performances.

A full scene shop and ample storage ensure that the stage can be easily reconfigured. The simplicity of the layout and the controls makes the building easy to use without full-time technical staff.

Theatre consulting services included theatre layouts, theatrical rigging, lighting, orchestra shell, orchestra pit platform, and seating design.

The interior and exterior architectural lighting design of the Center features lighting controls that easily switch between school days settings to special events.

Illuminated metal side panels in the Performance Hall provides a dramatic edge. Cascading pendant light fixtures in the lobby provides interest that is visible from the building exterior.

The exterior lighting provides a dramatic vista as you approach the building.