Philadelphia Ballet expanded its home on North Broad Street with the addition of a five-story, 43,000-square-foot Center for Dance. Designed by Varenhorst Architects, the glass-and-steel building includes a black-box performance space, rehearsal studios, and administrative offices. The project represents an anticipated investment of $35 million in the Ballet’s artists, students, audiences, and surrounding community.
For a project of this size and scale, providing the proper flooring for dancers was one of the most important considerations. The staff and dancers at Philadelphia Ballet worked collaboratively with the Harlequin team throughout the entire process. This included a visit to Harlequin’s New Jersey showroom to test out various flooring options to ensure the selected floor would meet the needs of their elite training, rehearsals, and performances.
Harlequin installed various combinations of flooring throughout the state-of-the-art space. A custom 4-layer Harlequin WoodSpring® sprung floor with a Harlequin Studio™ performance surface was installed in the building’s three rehearsal studios. The black box performance space was completed with WoodSpring and Harlequin Standfast™, a durable surface ideal for spaces using retractable seating and heavy scenery. The Pilates room is outfitted with Harlequin Liberty LatchLoc® panels. Together, these systems provide the consistency, support, and protection professional dancers need while creating high-quality spaces for Philadelphia Ballet’s company dancers and students.
The new Center for Dance will enhance Philadelphia Ballet’s ability to attract and retain world-class dancers, recruit talented students, and create new opportunities for choreographers, artists, and audiences. It will also provide expanded training, performance, and career-building opportunities for young artists and future professionals in production, wardrobe, lighting, and arts administration.
By creating a welcoming and comprehensive home for dance, Philadelphia Ballet is positioning itself as a model for the performing arts in the 21st century while reinforcing its role as a vibrant cultural institution on North Broad Street in the heart of Philadelphia.