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Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Chrysalis amphitheater to open as first new structure at Merriweather Park

As the luminous green shell of the new Chrysalis amphitheater comes into view amid the towering poplars high above South Entrance Road in Columbia, it's impossible not to be intrigued.

The $6.6 million structure in Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods — which will be dedicated at a public ceremony on Earth Day, April 22 — has a ridged, undulating surface covered with 4,000 aluminum shingles, and its tubular steel ribs curve around a central arch and eight asymmetrical openings like the loops of a fingerprint.

Observers can easily forget that they're looking at a high-performance stage on par with the critically acclaimed Merriweather Post Pavilion, which lies just 200 yards away.

But the Chrysalis, designed by New York architect and artist Marc Fornes to be one of a kind, is also a park pavilion accessible to visitors by day and a lighted public sculpture by night.

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad to know I am not the only one who thought that. Not being a member of the elite I cannot be convinced what is great artsy stuff. I like what I like and this luminous green shell of the new Chrysalis amphitheater ain't one of them..

Anonymous said...

The sad thing is that they paid an architect good money to design this monstrosity.

Anonymous said...

Lighten up people. It's a venue that has concerts and other arts events. Of course it's going to look different. i would love to see your design. Probably looks like Mike Brady's house design.

Anonymous said...

as it should