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Interior of the Maltz Performing Arts Center at Case Western Reserve University showing a restored historic sanctuary.

Maltz Performing Arts Center

Case Western
Reserve University

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Interior of Indiana University’s Theater and Drama Center by MGA Partners, featuring tiered seating and performance stage.

Theater & Drama Center

Indiana University

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Exterior view of the Salvation Army Kroc Center in Philadelphia designed by MGA Partners, featuring athletic fields and community recreation spaces under a blue sky.

Salvation Army Kroc Center

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Related Projects

Area

15 acres of public park
22,000 sf new construction
16,000 sf renovation

A panoramic view of the lawn seating shows the audience enjoying a lively performance.

With the acquisition of a primary Pavilion underwriter, we developed fresh donor recognition and wayfinding approaches.

A close-up photograph of a wayfinding sign depicts the layout of the Mann Center.
Wayfinding and identity sign depict the center’s programming.
People gather at dusk.
Section Drawing depicts the Center’s key architectural features including the canopy, below ground service areas, and entry.
The material palette of the Center is foregrounded with a sunny day in the background

A gracious promenade rings an expanded lawn seating area, creating a place for socializing within view of the stage, while connecting the activities at the top of the hill to the campus green.

The lawn seating is filled with people enjoying a performance.

Better integration with Fairmount Park is critical to elevating the experience of attending the Mann. New road patterns, landscaping, and a shift of lawn parking improve the arrival sequence. 

Site plan drawing shows the Mann Center’s connection to Fairmount Park
The Mann Center’s canopy frames the performance stage with the skyline of Philadelphia in the background.

Masterplan & Renovations
Mann Center For The Performing Arts

The Mann Center dates to 1935, when a bandshell and amphitheater known as the Robin Hood Dell were constructed in East Fairmount Park to be the summer home of the Philadelphia Orchestra. In 1976, a new home for the Orchestra, The Mann Center for the Performing Arts was created in response to the need for better weather protection for outdoor entertainment. Today, the Mann Center is Philadelphia’s premier summer venue and is among the largest and most well known in the country. It offers performances in musical theater, opera, and dance as well as popular and classical music.

With the increasing importance of parking, ease of access, sophisticated food offerings and other personal services to the public, the Mann Center has turned its attention to making the experience more compelling to its patrons. An initial 2002 Masterplan by MGA Partners spurred a series of phased projects to enrich the Mann experience and propel it to world-class status. 

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