Tufts University

Perry and Marty Granoff Music Center

Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University institutional objectives for this teaching and performance center were to establish the department as a regional and national leader in music teaching and performance, to create a distinctive sense of place and to design an environment that fosters interaction among the university's arts programs. Our design centers around two interwoven aspects of these goals, movement and integration.

Sited on a hill overlooking the athletic fields and neighboring community, the building forms a gateway at the campus' south quadrant linking the movement of landscape and people toward and through the building. Integrated with other facilities within the arts complex, it is a resource for the greater campus and neighborhood communities as well as the centerpiece for the university’s music department.

The semi-circular entry arcade provides a ceremonial public forum for the campus. A 2-story lobby with connecting bridges and balcony galleries wraps around the recital hall gathering sunlight and views. The dynamic terrazzo floor pattern is based on a geometric diagram of a violin. Acoustical design elements ensure that environmental noise does not interfere with live performances and CD recording quality. The 300-seat Distler Performance Hall is acoustically sealed, a "box-within-a-box", as are three classrooms and a 2-story rehearsal hall that can be used for recitals.

Other program elements include classrooms and seminar rooms for academic teaching, a 12-station interactive multi-media lab, applied music practice rooms and teaching studios, faculty offices and the Lilly Music Library with research terminals, lounge seating and custom-built carrels for solo listening or group study.