The Chrysalis
About
THIS PROJECT
The Chrysalis is a pavilion, sculpture and amphitheater located in Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods in Columbia, Maryland. The structure is adjacent to the Merriweather Post Pavilion performance center and houses a proscenium and stage for performance events. It is made of a unique aluminum substructure that is fastened to an irregularly curved, tubular steel superstructure. The substructure is finished with a shingle-type system forming a reptilian skin of graduating shades of green scales. There are 45,000 manually driven rivets used to fasten the 7,700 custom-made shingles that create the exterior skin and roof.
The Chrysalis’s size and shape accommodates larger productions, while also providing an intimate space for smaller gatherings. The facility is designed to resemble the roots of cypress tree seen in the eastern United States marshlands. Its unique shape provides the structural capability to accommodate a wide range of performances and events with a capacity of over 7,000 people.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
LOCATION:
Columbia, Maryland
Mid-Atlantic
CLIENT:
Inner Arbor Trust
INDUSTRY:
Performing Arts
PRACTICES:
BIM/VDC