Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts

The Department of Film and Media will soon be teaching in a new building on one of the province's most historic waterfront properties. The Norwegian architectural firm Snohetta -- responsible for the new Opera House Oslo and the National September 11 Memorial to be erected in New York -- has been working on the project for more than two years. Some of the architect's renderings seen here are as recent as October 2011, but details of the building will still change as the project evolves.

The view above shows the main entrance on the north side of the building. On the left is the City of Kingston's restored Tett Centre for Creativity, and on the right is the original stable building which will house the new multi-purpose gallery. Behind and attached to the gallery, is the main building.

Incorporating the original stone walls of the Stella Buck building, the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts will include a concert hall, as well as a studio theatre and a film screening room. There will be new teaching and rehearsal space for the Departments of Drama and Music, as well as complete facilities for Film and Media. It will be the cornerstone of a possible Fine Arts campus along the shores of Lake Ontario.

The view from the lake shows the main lobby on the right, with Film and Media offices and Departmental lounge above, overlooking the lake. On the ground floor in the centre is a large music rehearsal room.

The existing limestone walls will form part of the west side of the Performing Arts Centre, housing Film and Media offices and classrooms on the third floor, with backstage areas and a film production studio on the lower levels. One of the oldest industrial buildings in Canada, it was part of the Morton Brewery beginning in the 1830's.

The original central stone malt-drying tower (seen in the exterior view above) will house the spacious Film and Media computing lab.

Just inside the north door (top of the page) are the main lobby and café, and the stairs to the right which lead up to the Film and Media offices, editing rooms and classrooms.

The acoustically state-of-the-art concert hall will have 550 seats, and be adaptable for classical or amplified musical performances, and for large-screen high-definition video projection. It will be flanked by a smaller studio theatre, film screening room and art gallery.

The Green Room on the south end of the main floor will have an incomparable view of Lake Ontario, where the huge Royal Navy warship HMS St Lawrence, built during the War of 1812, lies sunk just offshore.

Much of the funding for construction has been raised, with infrastructure contributions from the federal government, the province of Ontario, and the City of Kingston, and an official groundbreaking has taken place. The project was initiated by a generous donation from benefactors Drs. Alfred and Isabel Bader.

See also live video of the Isabel Bader Centre Under Construction.

For more information on the Centre and how you can support it, see the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts website.