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Exterior rendering of The Madeira School Performing Arts Center designed by MGA Partners, showing visitors walking toward a contemporary campus theater.

Performing Arts Center

The Madeira School

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Interior of Germantown Friends School Early Childhood Program designed by MGA Partners, showing classroom spaces through glass doors with large orange number ‘2’ graphics.

Early Childhood Program

Germantown Friends School

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Modern academic building at The Haverford School designed by MGA Partners, with glass façades and students playing soccer on an adjacent athletic field.

Upper School

The Haverford School

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Related Projects

Area

30,000 sf renovation 
35,000 sf addition

Artistic render of the Gallery at Central High School

Award for Design Excellence
AIA Philadelphia

Rendered section of the Performing Arts Center at Central High School designed by MGA Partners

A Sound Skin lines the theater’s interior—a system of steel panels varying in the amount of folded surface and porosity through perforation—allowing the tuned reflection, diffusion, and absorption of the sounds in the space. 

Artistic render of the music rooms at Central High School designed by MGA Partners

Rehearsal rooms are scaled to fit the size and acoustical needs of large ensembles, while practice rooms will allow for break-out rehearsal before, during, and after school.

Artistic render of the instrument room at Central High School designed by MGA Partners
Render of the addition to Central High School designed by MGA Partners

The addition provides purpose-built space for the program at Central—housing rehearsal and performance spaces for Central’s eleven large ensembles, five chamber music ensembles, and related academic courses.

The largest element of this vision is the 400-seat Performing Arts Center. The venue will accommodate music productions of all sizes, theatrical and dance pieces, musical theatre shows, and extracurricular club performances. 

Students rehearse in the Performing Arts Center designed by MGA Partners
Render of Central High School

Phase One creates a new sense of arrival through site development. The vehicular entry is moved away from a busy intersection and widened for safety. The parking lot is reconstructed at a lower elevation allowing for the removal of deteriorating retaining walls that divide the campus. 

Aerial view of Central High School and its Performing Arts Center

Masterplan & Performing Arts Center
Central High School
Philadelphia

Central High School is one of the premier public college preparatory schools in the nation. Chartered in 1836, it is the 2nd oldest public high school in the country. Over the course of 180 years, Central has continued to grow in size, academic programs and extracurricular activities. The school has moved to three additional locations during this time, always driven by pedagogical needs and buildings best suited to its expanding programs.

With an aging campus beginning to lag behind its educational achievements, CHS asked our firm to develop a comprehensive strategy to bring its facility needs in line with its immediate and long-term academic goals. We helped the School develop a masterplan vision to deliver a transformative educational experience for its students, and create a lasting legacy of excellence. 

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