SCHRADERGROUP Develops Performing Arts Charter School Concept in Philadelphia

The SCHRADERGROUP (SG) team recently had the good fortune to be one of the finalists for the design of a Performing Arts Charter School in Southwest Philadelphia.  The location of the proposed site is in a newly expanding area located between the sports complexes and South Philadelphia.

The proposal requested a high profile presence to assist the school in promoting its performing and visual arts curricula.  The theater is the center of all functions in the facility, with all arts instruction spaces and STEAM education spaces emanating from the performing arts core.  The facility accommodates fourteen hundred students in grades six through twelve through an inviting performance-centered atmosphere.

SG responded with a compact three story scheme fitting on to the site in the footprint provided.  SG’s strong project-based and flexible learning environments dominated the academic portions of the facility.   In addition, the SG concept highlights the performing arts capabilities of the facility by creating a front entry for the theater at the entry to the site.  The building’s location on the site creates a strong visual presence for the school by connecting it to the neighborhood by both day and by night.

The Owner strongly complimented SG on the concept and imagery in the proposal, however SG was not selected as the finalist for the project.  SG will add the concepts developed for this proposal to its portfolio of educational facility designs and utilize this work as reference and inspiration for future educational facility planning and design.