Merriweather Post Pavilion (MPP) in Columbia, MD is in the midst of a $55 million renovation. If you haven’t visited for awhile, you’re in for a treat. The renovations are geared to enhancing the fan experience and providing appealing amenities to the performers in order to attract top talent. MPP celebrated it’s 50th anniversary in 2017 so the facility was due for some upgrades.
The renovations are being coordinated by the nonprofit Downtown Columbia Arts and Culture Commission, which took over ownership of Merriweather Post Pavilionin 2016. One of the first acts of the new leadership was to sign a new 40-year contract in 2017 with DC-headquartered I.M.P.to operate MPP. The Commission hopes to supplement the traditional rock concerts at MPP with other artistic and cultural activities.
Ian Kennedy, Executive Director of the Commission, recently gave me a tour of the renovation work in progress. Here are some pictures for a glimpse of the new Merriweather Post Pavilion.
(Click on any image to begin the slide show.)
MPP Box Office and West Entrance off of Merriweather Drive
The new Merriweather Post Pavilion (photo by Costello Construction Company)
The reconstructed MPP Roof, with a majority of the facing boards reused from the old roof. The higher roof allows the sound to be better directed towards the audience, thereby minimizing the noise levels outside the concert venue.
Reserved Pavilion Seating, with future elevator and Sky Boxes beyond the seating bowl. All Reserved Seating is under roof now, with retractable side sections.
Left-side Reserved Seating with floor of future Sky Boxes above. Note the new handicapped accessible seating.
Some of the Concession Stands and Rest Rooms
More Concession Stands
Second floor Club Level above the Concession Stands, stage left
More of the Club Level
New Stage, with turntable, Loading Dock on the right, and Mosh Pit
Back Stage
Bar and Cafeteria
Headliner Lounge and Dressing Room
More of the Headliner Lounge and Dressing Room
Swimming Pool and Cabanas, including a kiddie pool in the foreground. Many of the performers bring their kids and are grateful for this amenity.
Dressing Room – one of nine
Reception Room
Reception Room
Conference Room
Multi-purpose Room
Loading Dock
Marquee at the back entrance to Merriweather, in this case welcoming Dave Grohl, frontman of the Foo Fighters, on July 6, 2018.
All photos are by Harry Schwarz, unless otherwise indicated.
A primary goal for Crescent is to create a sustainable, urban live/work neighborhood overlooking Merriweather-Symphony Woods. This neighborhood will be unique to Downtown Columbia, with tall office and residential towers set on the periphery within new development parcels on the high ground between lower, environmentally-sensitive areas.
One of the neighborhood’s greatest assets is its natural setting with preserved and enhanced woodlands and tributaries to Symphony Stream and Little Patuxent River. And, while the developed areas will be fairly dense, the park setting, the curvilinear roads, and the rolling topography will set Crescent apart from the other Downtown neighborhoods.
A sustainable built environment will be created through the creation of mixed-use development with amenity spaces that allow residents to socialize, work, shop and play; the design of complete streets where residents can walk or bike to destinations or public transit; the design of buildings that are healthy and use natural resources more efficiently; and the creation of a healthy environment with clean water, clean air, and increased connections to the natural environment.
Orchard Development selected Design Collective to generate an innovative vision for a new performing and visual arts center with multi-family housing above, in Downtown Columbia, Maryland. Aspiring to become central Maryland’s paradigm for a community arts hub, the performing arts center will house Toby’s 350-seat Dinner Theater in-the-round, 2 black-box theaters, dance rooms and a full service restaurant. The visual arts wing will house the Howard County Arts Council which will include galleries, artist-in-residence studios, classrooms and offices.
In collaboration with the Howard County Housing Commission, 210 residential units will sit above the arts uses, concealing a 700-space garage, with a third-level residential amenity program featuring rooftop courtyards that overlook Symphony Woods and Merriweather Post Pavilion. At the confluence of Downtown and the preserved Woods, this merging of arts and residency will add new life and become a community anchor for Columbia.
Site Plan, Crescent Neighborhood (Crescent Neighborhood Implementation Plan, Howard Hughes Corporation) – including open spaces and new street grid.
Aerial Site Plan, Crescent Neighborhood (Design Collective) – the new Columbia Arts Center, where Toby’s Dinner Theater is currently located, is highlighted in red.
3D Aerial, Crescent Neighborhood (Design Collective) – including Merriweather at the center, Mall at the top, Lakefront at the right, and US29/Broken Land Pkwy interchange at lower left.
Site Plan, Area 1, Crescent Neighborhood (Howard Hughes Corporation)
Entrance Court, South side of Building A, Crescent Neighborhood (Design Collective)
Area 1, Crescent Neighborhood, looking North (Design Collective) – these office buildings and parking deck are currently under construction at corner of Little Patuxent and Broken Land Pkwys.
Area 3, Crescent Neighborhood looking south (Design Collective) – the new Central Library, Food Hall, and parking deck is far right
Central Library Concept, Area 3, Crescent Neighborhood (Howard Hughes Corporation)
Conceptual Retail site plan (Howard Hughes Corporation)
Conceptional Residential Site Plan (Howard Hughes Corporation)
Artist’s representation, Area 3, Crescent Neighborhood (Howard Hughes Corporation)
Area 3, Crescent Neighborhood, with Merriweather in the foreground and US29 upper left (Design Collective)
Area 7 Site Plan, Crescent Neighborhood (Design Collective)
Columbia Arts Center, Area 7, Crescent Neighborhood (Design Collective)
Columbia Art Center relation to Symphony Woods (Design Collective) – The Butterfly guest services building is upper left
Ground floor site plan, Columbia Arts Center, Crescent Neighborhood (Design Collective)
Upper floors site plan, Columbia Arts Center, Crescent Neighborhood (Design Collective)
HoCoMDcc 