I spent a significant portion of my childhood listening to music in recital halls and have many memories of the spaces in which I've attended concerts. Though I've lost various details over the years, the feeling of being one in a sea of tiered seating, waiting for the music to begin, has stayed with me.
My familiarity with concert halls may very well be the reason that I first found myself intrigued by Bowdoin's Studzinski Recital Hall. Though I haven't attended concerts in Studzinski more than a handful of times, the building's Kanbar Auditorium quickly became my favorite site to share with prospective families when I worked as a tour guide this summer. As I would pull open the door to the auditorium, the space would fill with the impressed whispers of my audience; I, too, felt compelled to stop for a moment in order to fully experience my surroundings.
Kanbar Auditorium—often simply referred to as Studz—is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful spaces on campus. Originally designed by McKim, Mead, and White as Curtis Pool and redesigned in 2007, Kanbar has seen a complete shift in activity; it now offers a hall that seats 287 and was built to house classical, jazz, electronic and world music performances. The general shape, a round-edged square created by the upper levels of seating, is welcoming and intimate. A single row of chairs extends from the highest tier of the general auditorium seating on each side and are complemented by a smaller collection of tiered seating behind the stage.
Unlike more traditional seating arrangements, a listener can place him or herself on any side of the stage. Of course, for some performances such as vocal concerts, sitting facing the performer's back may not be ideal. Nevertheless, this arrangement often functions quite well. Most importantly, this somewhat circular arrangement evokes the same feeling as a theater-in-the-round; even without human presence, it creates the impression of a relatively small group of community members gathering to listen to the musical expression of just a few.
The quality of sound in Kanbar auditorium contributes further to its beauty; the 10 towering wood and metal panels serve as a sort of shell to contain music. Perhaps the space even captures sound a little too well—I remember a note this summer that had been passed from the Bowdoin Music Festival to the Office of Admissions, warning that even the whispers of tours at the top of the stairs could be heard on stage.
Visually, the space is striking. The light shade of the wood paneling connects the chairs with the stage, just as it unites the sweeping curves of the ceiling with the floor; all of these elements give off a tremendous sense of warmth. The seats' deep blue tones are in sharp contrast to the brightness of the rest of the space, but this opposition is an attractive one that catches the eye.
Some of the most beautiful architectural moments occur at sunset. Behind the single row of chairs to the right and left of the stage are five wood and metal panels, interspersed at intervals from one another in front of the windows. Pockets of sunlight sneak through the spaces between these tall panels and play off of the woodwork across the auditorium.
Both before and after the construction of Kanbar Auditorium, we have been able to revel in our friends' accomplishments. This celebration of our peers' achievements is among the most valuable things in which we can take part in college.