Center

Help create a vibrant performing arts center

Exterior of 585 Kendall Street Building

An entrance to 585 Kendall Street with a 585 Arts sign

Aerial View of the building located at 585 Kendall Street

Exterior of 585 Kendall Street Building

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Welcoming and open to all, the new 30,000-square-foot performing arts center will anchor a spectacular new building set in an engaging urban landscape. The site is minutes from the Kendall T station and right next door to ample underground parking. The sustainable building is designed to meet high standards of LEED certification and accessibility.

The performing arts center, anchored by Global Arts Live, will be a community gathering place bringing together neighbors, artists, and those who work in Kendall Square. In addition to ticketed events, 585 Arts will offer free programming that is representative of the local community, ensuring the general public can enjoy the result of this community driven process.

Theater

Ascend the grand staircase or take the elevator to the theater on the second floor. Answering the urgent need for midsize venues in the Boston area, the theater offers 400 seats and a 3,100- square-foot stage boasting a 75-foot downstage opening. State-of-the art production capabilities, professional dressing rooms, and attention to accessibility ensure that this will be an ideal venue for music, contemporary dance, theater, film, and more.

Explore the Theater’s programming

Two performers on the main stage look out at the 400 seat theater

Four musicians on the main stage of 585 Arts

A side view of the main theater, two performers stand on the stage

Two performers on the main stage look out at the 400 seat theater

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The Commons Stage

Nestled in a year-round indoor garden, this inviting performance space anchors the Ground Floor Commons. Ideal for talks, screenings, casual performances, and community events, it will offer informal amphitheater seating for 150 people and a fully accessible stage and dressing room. A bar next to the stage will offer refreshments for all.

Explore the Commons Stage programming

Ground Floor Commons

The commons café and coffee bar

People gather in the ground floor commons

People view art displayed in the ground floor commons

The commons café and coffee bar

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A side view of dancers on the commons stage and audiences viewing

Musicians and dancers on the commons stage

Individuals stand and sit watching dancers on the commons stage

A side view of dancers on the commons stage and audiences viewing

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Play, connect, and relax in the Ground Floor Commons. The welcoming Ground Floor Public Commons will span the building’s length from Kendall Street to Third Street. A gathering space for all to enjoy, with glass walls, an indoor garden, natural light, and doors that fold open to the exterior, the Ground Floor Commons offers a café and bar, community corner, urban lounge, community exhibit space, box office, and the Commons Stage.

Explore the Ground Floor Commons programming

Rehearsal Studio

Addressing the critical need for professional rehearsal space in the Boston area, the Studio is designed with the same dimensions as the main theater, ensuring a seamless transition from creation to performance. Subsidized by philanthropic support, the rehearsal studio will be available to artists and nonprofit organizations at significantly discounted rates.

Dancers rehearse

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585 Arts Advisory Circle

To ensure open communication with the artist community and broader Cambridge neighborhood, 585 Arts is being guided by an Arts Advisory Circle, a group of Cambridge and Greater Boston artists, arts administrators and community members. Their valued input includes the design and programming of 585 Arts.

Building Partners

Exterior rendering of 585 Kendall Street building

OWNER

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

ARCHITECT

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER

MEP ENGINEER

CIVIL ENGINEER

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

SUSTAINABILITY

OWNER PROJECT MANAGER

BioMed Realty

Suffolk Construction

CBT

McNamara Salvia Structural Engineers

BR+A Consulting Engineers

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin

Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates

Buro Happold

Redgate

THEATER PLANNING AND DESIGN

ACOUSTICS CONSULTANT

OPERATOR'S CONSULTANT

TENANT REPRESENTATIVE

Theater Projects

Jaffe Holden

Joseph Levendusky

Fourie Consultants Inc.