A Dedication Ceremony to recognize the design/buildLAB student team and the many supporters and donors to the Masonic Amphitheatre Project will be held at 4:00 p.m. on the property behind the Masonic Theatre which is the new location for the Amphitheatre.
John Hillert, president of the Masonic Theatre Preservation Foundation comments, “There have been numerous studies of long-range planning goals for the Alleghany Highlands downtown areas and an Amphitheatre and Park area behind the Masonic Theatre was always a suggestion in those studies. Taking that suggestion, pairing it with the beautiful space by Smith Creek behind the Masonic Theatre and the talent of the third year architecture students from VA Tech plus a grant from the Alleghany Foundation, and all the elements came together to achieve the reality of the Masonic Amphitheatre”.
The design/buildLAB students under the tutelage of award-winning architects, Keith and Marie Zawistowski, began work on designing the Amphitheatre in the fall of 2011 after they visited the Clifton Forge site and held numerous interviews with Highlands’ residents. The students incorporated the input they received into a series of design concepts and eventually worked together in their 16-member team to form one concept that was the accumulation of citizen suggestions and advice from consultants. They also had to overcome the challenge of the Amphitheatre being located in a flood plain, but with that also came the advantage of working with the concrete pad that was already in place behind the Masonic Theatre. The property had been donated by Bill Cook when he relocated his Wholesale Tire Company.
The Amphitheatre has been constructed in prefabricated sections in Blacksburg and the parts and pieces are being transported to the site this week while the students assemble the pieces much like assembling Lego blocks. While the prefabricated construction was occurring, the Clifton Forge site was being prepared for occupancy by Ross Hammond and his team from Commonwealth Contracting Company, along with Greg Vess, D.D. Kerns, Hammond and Mitchell and many others. The foundation needed to be strengthened, the retaining walls built and the site graded.
Marie Zawistowski said, “We welcome the participation of the community, as we believe these interactions are essential to the students’ education in a broad sense. The experience of realizing this project for the Highlands community is incredibly meaningful for all of them, and will be life changing for all of us”. The design/buildLAB team is inviting all members of the community who would like to volunteer from May 19 to May 24 to sign up at the Clifton Forge School of the Arts. Volunteers will be helping to lay sod on May 19.
In addition to designing and building the Amphitheatre, the student team also solicited donations of materials and equipment to enhance the project. They communicated their progress in building the white oak walls of the structure, the sound and projection booth and seating area through Blog postings, gave several public presentations in Clifton Forge and held an Open House in Blacksburg.
Now, it is time to celebrate their vision and hard work with the Dedication Ceremony. Speakers for the Ceremony will include Bill Galloway, Director of the VA Tech School of Architecture and Design. The design/buildLAB program is unique in that it provides students a hands-on experience which makes them more equipped to meet the demands of the market place.
In addition to a variety of speakers at the Dedication Ceremony, Biff Downey will open the Ceremony by singing “America” and Jan Cohen will provide music on the Amphitheatre stage while the students give tours of the structure and space.
On June 23 beginning at noon, the Masonic Amphitheatre will celebrate its Grand Opening beginning with a ribbon cutting. The public will be able to see all the Amphitheatre offers by experiencing continuous entertainment from noon to 7:00 p.m. Admission is free as a thank you to the Highlands Community. For more information on the Masonic Amphitheatre Project please visit www.historicmasonictheatre.com
|  | "Despite Monday's rain and mud, the VA Tech design/buildLAB Team was onsite at the Masonic Amphitheatre's permanent home on the property behind the Masonic Theatre. The students will be assembling the Amphitheatre components over the next two weeks. The Masonic Amphitheatre Dedication Ceremony is Friday, May 25 and Grand Opening is Saturday, June 23." (Photo courtesy of The Historic Masonic Theatre)
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