Fredericton Names Designers for New Performing Arts Centre

After many years of waiting, the city of Fredericton is hoping to finally receive a new performing arts centre to replace its existing Playhouse. Now working with a renowned Canadian architecture firm, the Board of Directors of Fredericton Playhouse Inc. is eager to begin the design process.

“Replacing the Playhouse facility, which is beyond its useful life, is an urgent priority for our organization and for the community it serves,” said Greg MacFarlane, President of the Playhouses’ Board of Directors.

“We were pleased to participate in the rigorous process to select a design team, the results of which will undoubtedly serve Fredericton very well. Diamond Schmitt Architects and their team of local and international design consultants is an excellent choice for this project. Their experience and reputation in designing live performance facilities across Canada and internationally positions them perfectly to understand our project and the benefits it intends to deliver.

“We are excited to work with the Diamond Schmitt team, bringing our experience, expertise, and our connection to the local community to the process of designing a new facility. This new venue will better serve future generations of artists, residents and visitors, contributing to a high quality of life, attracting investment, and contributing to the economic vitality and social wellbeing of our region.

“In these times of economic uncertainty, a major investment in public infrastructure is most certainly welcome. We are confident that the design phase of this project will bring us closer to making this important project a reality.”

The Toronto-based architecture firm, Diamond Schmitt, is behind the designs of many well-known buildings, including the Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada (Ottawa), Ryerson Image Centre and School of Image Arts (Toronto), and the Emily Carr University of Art + Design (Vancouver).

More importantly, and far more relevant to the project at hand, Diamond Schmitt have also been responsible for the designs of performances spaces such as The Re-Imagined David Geffen Hall (New York), Ingenium Centre (Ottawa), the Rejuvenation of the National Arts Centre (Ottawa), the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (Toronto), the Esplanade Performing Arts and Heritage Centre (Medicine Hat), and La Maison Symphonique de Montréal (Montreal).

The Fredericton Playhouse staff note that this conceptual image, submitted during the selection process, may not be reflective of what the building will look like once they’ve finished with this next stage of the design process.

Diamond Schmitt’s proposed design for a new Fredericton Playhouse (Image: submitted)

Please note that this is a conceptual image that was submitted during the selection process, and not reflective of what the building will look like once they’ve finished with this next stage of the design process.

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