Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center |
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| Alternative names | EMPAC |
| Etymology | Named for Curtis Priem |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Troy, New York |
| Country | United States |
| Opened | October 3, 2008 |
| Cost | $141,000,000 |
| Owner | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 7 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Grimshaw Architects, Davis Brody Bond |
| Engineer | Buro Happold |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | 1,200 (main concert hall), 400 (theater) |
The Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, also known as EMPAC, is a special building for arts and media. It's located at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. EMPAC first opened its doors on October 3, 2008.
Johannes Goebel was the first director of EMPAC. He used to lead a similar center in Germany. The building is named after Curtis Priem, who co-founded a company called NVIDIA. He graduated from RPI in 1982 and gave a large gift of $40 million to the school in 2004.
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Building EMPAC: From Idea to Reality
RPI first shared plans for a new arts building in 2001. They thought it would cost about $50 million. After looking at different designs, the cost grew to $141 million. The completion date was also pushed back to 2006. Some students and teachers thought the project was too big and expensive.
Construction started on September 19, 2003. In 2004, Curtis Priem, an RPI graduate, donated $40 million. Because of his generous gift, RPI decided to name the building after him. Another graduate, David Jaffe, also gave $1 million for EMPAC's programs.
Workers had to dig out over 100,000 cubic yards of earth from the hillside. The ground on the hill can be unstable. To make sure EMPAC wouldn't slide, 215 huge rock anchors were drilled into the ground. These anchors are over 210 feet (64 meters) long. They are some of the biggest in North America.
In September 2005, RPI held a special event called EMPAC 360: On Site + Sound. This event showed off multimedia and performing arts. Over 3,000 people came to celebrate the halfway point of construction. The building was finally expected to be finished in 2008.
In January 2008, a lighting artist named Jennifer Tipton created a huge light show. It was called "Light Above the Hudson." The display used a 300 by 100-foot (91 by 30-meter) array of colorful lights. Searchlights pointed into the sky, drawing attention to the new center.
Grand Opening Celebrations
EMPAC officially opened with celebrations over three weekends. These events took place from October 3 to October 19, 2008. All the opening events were free for everyone to enjoy.
The first concert was on October 4. It featured the Albany Symphony Orchestra and other groups. They played music from 400 years of history. Other artists included the Norwegian group Verdensteatret and the Japanese collective Dumb Type. There was also a special performance by pianist Cecil Taylor and Pauline Oliveros.
The second weekend, October 11, was for RPI alumni. It featured the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. The third weekend, October 18, was for families. It included performances by Gamelan Galak Tikka and the Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band. Each weekend also had many talks and workshops.
Amazing Architecture and Spaces
Grimshaw Architects from London and New York designed EMPAC. They are famous for other cool buildings like The Eden Project. Davis Brody Bond was the architect of record. The engineers for the project were Buro Happold.
The Main Concert Hall
The main concert hall can seat 1,200 people. It is known as one of the best concert halls in the world for sound. A company called Kirkegaard Associates worked on the sound system. They used computers to model the ceiling to make sure sound waves traveled perfectly.
EMPAC is the first place to use a special fire-resistant fabric called Nomex for its ceiling. This fabric helps reflect sound. The outside of the concert hall is covered with 36,000 square feet (3,345 square meters) of Western Red Cedar wood. This wood comes from sustainable forests and helps prevent fires.
Glass Walls and Green Design
A huge glass wall, 20,000 square feet (1,858 square meters), covers the north side of the building. A special liquid flows through the steel beams to keep the glass at an even temperature. This stops condensation from forming. EMPAC is also a "LEED Silver certified" building. This means it was built using environmentally friendly methods.
Other Performance and Studio Spaces
EMPAC also has a theater that seats 400 people. It has a large stage and a tall fly tower for moving scenery. There are two very big projection screens. One is 50 by 40 feet (15 by 12 meters) in the theater. The other is 60 feet (18 meters) wide in the concert hall.
The building has two main multi-purpose studios. Studio 1 is 3,500 square feet (325 square meters) with 40-foot (12-meter) high ceilings. Studio 2 is 2,500 square feet (232 square meters) with 28-foot (8.5-meter) high ceilings. There's also a rehearsal studio called Studio Beta, which is 1,400 square feet (130 square meters).
These studios have special sound panels that look like tree bark. These panels help control sound by absorbing and reflecting different sound frequencies. All the performance spaces are very quiet. They have a maximum noise level of only 15 decibels. This makes them some of the quietest art spaces anywhere!
Virtual Reality and 360-Degree Projections
EMPAC has a cool 360-degree projection system. It's used for virtual reality research, art, and movies. The system has a 40-foot (12-meter) round, 15-foot (4.6-meter) tall circular screen. Viewers can walk around inside or sit in swivel chairs.
Special 360-degree cameras are used to film, and microphones record sound from all directions. The sound can then be played back through many speakers. This makes it feel like sound is coming from any angle around the audience. The first project made with this system was called THERE IS STILL TIME..BROTHER. It started at EMPAC and then traveled around the world.
Images for kids
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"Lights Above the Hudson" display, January 2008
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Southwest corner of EMPAC grounds
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East entrance of EMPAC
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North face of EMPAC with glass façade
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West face of EMPAC
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South side of EMPAC
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Balcony entrances to the main performance hall
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Grand staircase in EMPAC
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Founders' Room Balcony overlooking the City of Troy
