Photo: The new American Repertory Theater will include one theater seating 700 guests and capable of hosting large-scale productions as well as a versatile and intimate 300-seat black box theater. | Photo Credit: Courtesy of Shawmut Design and Construction
By Lindsey Coulter
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. 鈥� Construction of the new American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University recently marked a major construction milestone with the ceremonial topping out of the new David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance. The A.R.T. plans to welcome audiences in early 2027.
Located in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, the new home for the A.R.T. was designed to foster groundbreaking performance, public gathering, teaching and international research. The Goel Center for Creativity & Performance is designed by Haworth Tompkins (architect and design lead) and ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge (architect of record), in collaboration with theater and acoustic consultant Charcoalblue. Shawmut Design and Construction serves as the project鈥檚 construction manager.
鈥淩eaching the topping off milestone on the new home of the American Repertory Theater is an incredible moment for everyone involved in bringing this visionary project to life,鈥� said Kevin Sullivan, Executive Vice President of Shawmut Design and Construction鈥檚 New England Region. 鈥淭his structure represents both a remarkable technical achievement and a new benchmark for sustainable, low-carbon construction. Raising the final piece of the mass timber structure not only marks the next chapter in the A.R.T.鈥檚 story, but also stands as a symbol of innovation, collaboration, and community impact that will define this building for decades to come.鈥�
Conceived through core principles of openness, artistic flexibility, collaboration, sustainability, and regenerative design, the Goel Center will provide interconnected, adaptable, multi-use spaces that support creativity and embrace future change. It will include two flexible performance venues 鈥� one seating 700 guests and capable of hosting large-scale productions as well as a versatile and intimate 300-seat black box theater. Additional spaces will include light-filled rehearsal studios and teaching spaces, a spacious public lobby, a caf茅, and an outdoor performance yard. The building will also include dressing rooms, technical shops and administrative offices
A blend of peer review and scientific contributions from across Harvard University informed a rigorous design process. Members of The Harvard Healthy Buildings Academy, the Harvard Office for Sustainability, the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Health, the Arnold Arboretum, and the Harvard Graduate School of Design each contributed to the project.
The center advances Harvard鈥檚 ambitious sustainability priorities and is designed with a blend of environmental and social strategies to minimize embodied and operational carbon, maximize wellbeing, boost biodiversity and enhance resiliency. This holistic approach to sustainable and regenerative design sets up the Goel Center to achieve Living Building Challenge Core accreditation from the International Living Future Institute, recognizing that it gives more to its environment than it takes.
A key driver of this commitment is the use of low-carbon, responsibly sourced materials. The building is constructed with laminate mass timber, reclaimed brick and cedar cladding to minimize its lifetime carbon budget. More than 2,000 individual mass timber components have been installed, including columns, beams, floors, walls, stairways and elevator shafts.
鈥淲e鈥檙e celebrating not just the placement of the final piece of mass timber but also the 50% point of construction.鈥� said Susan Malaab, Senior Project Manager with Harvard Capital Projects. 鈥淭he planning for the A.R.T. performance center began in 2018 with workshops that prioritized the goals of the project. Flexibility, public gathering, accessibility and a model of sustainability would shape the design. The design and construction team formed a partnership to reach those goals while maintaining the scope and budgetary requirements. The construction of the building will support the incremental expansion of the innovation ecosystem for the arts in Allston.鈥�
The building鈥檚 chilled water, hot water and electric utilities will be supplied by Harvard鈥檚 new lower-carbon District Energy Facility. Additional clean energy will be generated by rooftop solar panels, while natural ventilation will reduce energy use and enhance occupant comfort. A green roof and extensive plantings will aid stormwater attenuation, increase biodiversity, and promote occupant wellbeing.