amphitheater & quad
Our amphitheater and quad aren't just the heart of our campus--they're the heart of our community.
This is where we gather together, cross paths, share our talents, work on some of our messiest projects, and make some of our best memories together--where we say hello to kindergarteners at the Welcome Assembly, say farewell to the 8th graders on Closing Day, tell jokes and sing, celebrate chess championships and welcome our partnership delegations.
That's why as we create our vision for the future of Mark Day School, we must redesign the amphitheater and quad to bring beauty, life, and activity to the heart of our campus, and support learning, socializing, and play--all in one welcoming place.
Our vision for the new amphitheater rethinks this vital space from the ground up, creating a totally new design and experience for our community:
- It will sit on the same location, but will be rotated 180 degrees so that the audience faces into the center of our campus rather than toward the walls of a classroom building.
- The seating layout will curve around the central performance area, enabling audience members to connect visually with each other as well as with the speaker or performer.
- A gently sloped landscape will provide "stadium style" seating with better visibility across all rows. Balcony spaces along the new upper level of the Learning Commons building and Creativity Lab will create more places for children, faculty, and parents to gather and be part of performances and events in the amphitheater below.
Our vision for the quad encompasses all the space between our classroom wings--including the grassy square, the amphitheater, and the walkways that surround them. With a totally new layout, fresh landscaping, and redesigned spaces, we will turn today's underutilized quad into a hub of activity on tomorrow's campus. The re-envisioned quad will be thoughtfully designed to include multiple distinct spaces and features:
- Two new sections of tables, chairs, and shade umbrellas will provide more--and more comfortable--seating options at lunchtime.
- Open space and seating will give teachers new options for outdoor projects and small group work.
- A new "green" play area will complement our existing asphalt play spaces.
- A new water feature will create an educational space for students to learn about rainfall, water use, and conservation.
All together, the new quad will bring beauty, life, and activity to the heart of our campus, and support learning, socializing, and play--all in one welcoming space.