October 26, 2016 | Story Galleries and Performance
OLD & NEW
Cody Anderson Wasney Architects renovated Roble Gym, a 1930s building.
Following a two-year, $28 million renovation, Stanford’s Roble Gym reopens this fall. Built in 1931 as a women’s gym, it will house the Department of Theater & Performance Studies (TAPS). “Now we finally have a building that still has its old charm and history preserved, with the functionality of modern theater and dance facilities,” says Branislav Jakovljevic, the chair of TAPS. The infrastructure (mechanical, plumbing, electrical, accessibility) has been updated, and the improvements extend to the outside areas as well (exterior, courtyards, landscaping). “While there are many new things in Roble that are truly fantastic,” adds Jakovljevic, “I have to single out the new black-box theater. It is a space with flexible seating configurations that bring a potential for innovation and experimentation that we sorely missed on the Stanford campus. Just walking into that space while it was still being completed makes one’s imagination run wild with possibilities. I can’t wait to see what our students, faculty and visiting artists are going to do in that space.” Jakovljevic, and the rest of the community, won’t have to wait long: In October, TAPS is presenting Spring Awakening, the Musical in the venue.
Originally published in the September issue of Silicon Valley
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