Marcus Garvey Park Amphitheatre Design

Alex Ivanov Jeremy Baskin Marlene De Oliveira Mateusz Kruk Alex Brown Jenn Priessel - CSLP Intern

Amphitheatre Problem Statement

To design a new amphitheatre in Marcus Garvey Memorial Park that suits the needs of the community and performers. The existing theatre has been used since 1970 and has become dilapidated. In the Community Vision Report, members of the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance told us what major issues need to be addressed in drawing up the plans:
The amphitheatre structure needs to be expanded, and the design has to be modern, aesthetically pleasing, and durable The sound and lighting equipment needs to be upgraded. The seating area needs to be improved and expanded. A retractable sun/rain screen needs to be installed to protect the audience members from inclement weather. A removable/retractable fourth wall for the stage area needs to be designed, so that the space can be used during the winter for indoor activities.

Functional Requirements
Amphitheater structure- needs to be modern and aesthetically pleasing. Needs to accommodate a larger stage and backstage area, and to last at least 30 more years Sound and lighting- needs to be modernized. Sound has to reach the entire audience, and lighting has to be versatile to accommodate a variety of shows Seating area- the capacity needs to be expanded, hopefully doubled. Seats need to be comfortable. Variety of seating has to be increased- picnic tables, steps cut into hill Retractable sun shade- needs to protect the audience from the sun and rain. Needs to be mechanically and manually operable, fast-deploying, and easy to store when not in use Removable fourth wall- needs to close off the stage area in winter time to allow the space to be used for indoor activities. Needs to hold heat well, and be easy to store when not in use

Objective Tree
Marcus Garvey Park Amphitheatre Project
Theater structure
Durable at least 30 year life span

Sound & Lighting

Sound accommodatin g larger audience versatile for various types of shows

Seating Area
Capacity expanded Comfortablebacks on benches

Sun Shade
Covering immediate seating area Mechanically and manually deployed Durablewithstanding weather

Fourth Wall
Enclosing stage area Retaining heat Mechanically and manually deployed Durable and sturdy Easily stored

Modern Aesthetically pleasing Expanded capacity

Equipment wellhidden

Variety- picnic tables, steps cut into hills

Easily stored

Design Constraints
Lack of skills/knowledge of amphitheatre design
Acoustic science Material choices Dimensional analysis Lack of examples of existing sun shade and door enclosure systems for amphitheatres

Modeling constraints
Limited knowledge of computer aided design programs

Overall complexity
Have to design not just an amphitheatre but also expanded and new seating, a fourth wall enclosure, and a retractable sun/rain shade fly system

Variable budgeting
The Park Alliance hopes it will have two million dollars to work with, but may have to work with a smaller budget

Major Activities To Date

Background Research Multiple Client Meetings Multiple Site Visits/Accumulation of Fund-Raising Video Footage with interviews Drawing and Revision of Detailed Design Sketches Final Written Report and Final Video Deliverables made for client: - fundraising video - 3-dimensional computer rendered model of the amphitheatre and winter enclosure designs

Gantt Chart

Team Process and Skill Development

Team strengths: Our team had very good collaboration on all the work that needed to be done. Everyones input was valued and the work was divided fairly. We addressed encountered problems as a group. We were also good at taking input from our clients as well as members of the community as guidelines for our work, developing a strong professional relationship with our clients. Opportunities for skill Development: Our group could use more work in staying on track during meetings. Our communication with the clients, as well as amongst each other, could also be better. However, we improved in both of these areas through the course of the project.

Sample Amphitheatres

Proposed Design

72

70 55

Proposed Design
Current stage size: 1800sq ft Proposed stage size: ~4000sq. Ft leaves much room for a separated backstage area

Proposed Design

Proposed Design
Amphitheatre is extended about 15 feet towards the audience to cut down on traffic in front of the stage, provide better viewing, and create more backstage space. Extended vantage points for larger performances; Orthogonal design eliminates blind spots behind amphitheatre Semi-curved roof for aesthetics
Made from a series of curved steel trusses covered with aluminum panels

Truss design used for the roof: an immense amount of space is created (old acoustic panels and lighting, speakers with acoustic boxes, storage of large retractable sunshade and winches when not in use)

Proposed Design - Enclosure

Proposed Design - Enclosure

Accordion Doors System
Two sides each made of aluminum spars within a two-ply vinyl coated polyester material, the same material that is used for many tennis bubbles

Material
Water resistant, very durable, and comes in a variety of translucencies for lighting purposes Sells for about 12-14 dollars per yard

Mechanics
Would run on a track that is recessed in the stage and the protruding part of the roof Tracks covered by a series of comb-like rubber teeth for insulation while still allowing the wheeled spars pass through easily

Storage
Collapsible doors can be taken out of the track and stored away in compartments located under the stage

Seating Expansion

Seating Expansion
Newly renovated seating area: benches with back supports made of treated wood Newly renovated and recessed control box for unobstructed viewing Stone wall and shrubs removed for viewing and security purposes In-stair floor lighting fixed and protected by thick Plexiglas Landscaping and tree transplanting Areas on either side of the current seating area: either picnic tables or raised bleachers Behind the main current seating area: seats with few trees can be built Steps can also be cut into the hill leading to the Acropolis for additional seating, with trees to provide shade

Proposed Seating
All of the seating will consist of park benches with back supports made of treated Southern Yellow Pine stained with redwood. Wood material
Weather resistant Poor heat conductor

Backs to the seats

Many community members, especially the elderly, feel that the current seating is too uncomfortable Results in many people bringing their own chairs, thus taking up needed space

Seats sell retail for approximately 185 dollars for every six feet used Dramatically adds to the aesthetics of the area, even more so if they match the same wood as the stage

Sunshade/Rain Cover
Slopes downward towards the stage on a cable fly system; allows for viewing in the back sections Shade system consists of two truss towers each housing a 5000-pound winch; two more winches within the amphitheatre Towers can also be used to attach any screens or surround speakers Each tower connects two cables through the fold down door in the roof of the amphitheater; One cable is still while the other is connected to each winch The cable attached to the winch draws out the shade as it slides along the still cable in a shower curtain-like fashion During the off-season, the shade, made of the same material as the accordion doors, is then housed in the truss sections of the amphitheater and the cables can be disconnected

Sunshade/Rain Cover

Sunshade/Rain Cover

Sunshade/Rain Cover

Budget Analysis
Retail Value of Materials Seats Steel truss sections Aluminum paneling Wood paneling Brick Canopy Door enclosure system Acoustic panels Lighting Speakers Cables/Winches Miscellaneous expenses* Total $102,780 $110,000 $165,000 $ 20,000 $ 25,000 $ 38,625 $ 25,000 $ 11,200 $ $ $ 2,700 6,000 2,000

$190,000 $759,305 + Labor

* Miscellaneous expenses include computer networking equipment, amplification equipment, utilities, switches, doors, shipping costs, etc.

Alternate Solutions Explored

Similar Design of Current Amphitheatre
Dome shape is more aesthetically pleasing Increased backstage and performance space with our design

Garage Door Enclosure

For a more cost-effective but less modern design, this design can still be taken into consideration

Tennis Bubble Enclosure

High cost of installation Difficulty in anchoring design Overall inappropriateness

Continuity Plan
We provided a solid design with cost-effective materials, taking into consideration the views of the community members. This design should be shown to raise funds, and can be used as a guideline for the team of architects and engineers laying out the blueprints for the new theater. The fund-raising video we created can be shown to potential donors to raise money for the project. It can also be shown to members of the parks department and the community to raise support for a new amphitheater. If another group were to continue with this project, they could perform a thorough structural and acoustical analysis of our design, as well as call contractors and get more accurate estimates for the construction project.

Question and Answer Session