The Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center: If you have been at RPI for the past three years like I have, that is something that probably has been on your mind. I remember touring RPI as a high school senior and hearing about this grandiose building called EMPAC that was going to be built the following year. I didn’t know much about it, and I don’t think many other students at RPI did either. It seemed strange, a performing arts center on a campus that was and still is predominantly technology- and engineering-oriented. At first glance it just didn’t seem like it fit. However, this is not so. With the building nearing completion, and the opening ceremonies almost upon us, one would be hard pressed to not be curious about this unique structure. I recently had the chance to tour the amazing EMPAC building ...
Upon entering, you immediately greeted by the sight of the hull that encompasses the concert hall. Taking the elevator down two stories, you arrive in the café. This will be a place for students to congregate on lower campus to eat, study, hang out, etc. It is going to feature food from an outside vendor and will be available to students on a daily basis. The eatery faces the concert hall, and a short walk will take you inside. The 1,200 seat auditorium is described by the EMPAC website as being “designed to the highest acoustical standards,” is, in my opinion, amazing. Each seat, aside from being extremely comfortable with more than ample leg room, has a ventilation duct beneath it, to force air to the concert patron. The room is also lined with state-of-the-art acoustic material, which not only looks awesome, but also provides the high-caliber auditory environment that the chamber boasts. During the opening celebrations, the auditorium will feature world class performances including the Ramsey Lewis Trio and Wynton Marsalis.
To the south is the building’s 400-seat theatre. The director of EMPAC described this room to me as having the same capabilities of hosting Broadway shows such as The Lion King. Its 400 seats, however, will provide for a much more intimate setting. This stage will be available for visiting artists and also student performance groups, giving them the opportunity to perform in a state-of-the-art theater not available at other universities. In fact, there will be student performances in this theatre during Family Weekend, which is part of the EMPAC opening ceremonies.
On the same side of the structure as the theatre are two black box studios. These facilities, although right next to each other, are completely acoustically independent. That is, you could be having a rock concert in one, and a piano recital in the other, and neither venue would be disturbed by the other; this is an unbelievable architectural feat in itself. These two spaces will be available for acoustic research of limitless options. The black box studios are the essence of what EMPAC is about, taking the creative and inquisitive drive that is at home at this campus, and applying it to new fields. During the opening ceremonies, one of these rooms will be set up to display a fully immersive three-dimensional video.
Finally, EMPAC will have a multipurpose rehearsal studio, which will be available to be reserved by student groups through the Union’s room reservation services. The building is also complete with state of the art audio, video, and data networking infrastructure, along with a gambit of several other high tech features that I could go on for pages about.
This is the first time that all of these facilities will be under the same roof. This will provide for opportunities that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. EMPAC is going to provide a unique addition to this campus that is a statement of Rensselaer’s front running in the technological community. No one else has ever done anything like this before. This is an exciting time to be at RPI. I am thankful that I was able to see the building last week, and suggest that you all make the trek down the hill to see it during the opening weekends, and throughout the year.
