WHYY Learning Lab

Philadelphia, PA

DESCRIPTION

Hunter Roberts is performing pre-construction and construction management services for WHYY’s new Learning Lab. WHYY is the leading public television and radio station in Philadelphia, located at Independence Mall West, 150 N. 6th Street. The organization provides education, information, entertainment, and inspiration to a wide audience in the Delaware Valley.

The Learning Lab project consists of an 8,100 SF addition and 4,000 SF fit-out of WHYY’s existing 60,000 SF Technology Center. The addition will be a center for hands-on production-oriented education; a venue for performance, lectures, and town hall meetings; and a facility for connecting the community through all of the distribution and communications platforms available to a modern public broadcaster. The program includes the following spaces:

The Lincoln Financial Digital Education Studio (4,100 SF) - this multi-functional performance and presentation space will be the centerpiece of the Learning Lab with the capacity to hold 100 to 150 people for streamed or datacast performances, demonstrations, lectures, and meetings before live audiences.

Community Rooms (1,800 SF) - two state-of-the-art classrooms for digital production training.

Digital Kitchen (600 SF) - where Lab staff and community partners will brainstorm new concepts, explore projects, and create productions.

The Portal (1,000 SF) - reception space for 75 to 100 people and a digital video gallery that includes large panel screens in the Lab’s lobby presenting a changing display of digital art, WHYY digital productions, and content developed in the Learning Lab.

Equipment Room (300 SF) - designed for storage of audio and video equipment and the associated cables.

Administrative Space (600 SF)

COMPLETION DATE

February 2010

OWNER

WHYY, Inc.

ARCHITECT

KSS Architects LLP