A Third Transformation of Tanglewood: The Boston Symphony Orchestra refers to the Linde Center for Music and Learning as the Third Transformation of Tanglewood, following the creation of the festival and construction of the Shed in 1940, and the opening of Seiji Ozawa Hall in 1994.

Embracing the Future of Classical Music: The Linde Center is a music incubator, with four buildings arranged on a ridge overlooking Ozawa Hall, the Highwood estate and the Berkshire hills. These spaces provide flexible venues for experimentation, programs of the new Tanglewood Learning Institute that deepen the intellectual engagement of the audience with the music, a café that encourages the sharing of ideas, and distance learning capability to share programming beyond Tanglewood.

Capturing the Ethos of Tanglewood: The Linde Center for Music and Learning embodies the Tanglewood experience, a combination of the intensity of music-making at the highest caliber, and the informality of the setting. Visitors can come, explore, even sit in on rehearsals, but always with a connection to the music making and the natural environment.

To fit into the scale of Tanglewood, the project is arranged as four individual buildings connected by a sinuous covered walkway and gathered around a 100’ tall Red Oak. Each building opens to the landscape, immersing each studio in balanced daylight and carefully calibrated views. While the buildings have air-conditioning (a Tanglewood first), each space is designed to also be naturally ventilated, with large-scale operable glass walls and actuator operated windows allowing the buildings to open to the campus.

An Outward Looking, Flexible Venue: The largest studio called Studio E, faces the Red Oak and looks out under the tree canopy to the hills beyond. A full wall of glass (30 foot high and 50 foot wide) allows this view to serve as a backdrop. A 50 foot wide and 10 foot tall retractable glass wall can open directly out onto the sinuous walkway and the surroundings, recalling Seiji Ozawa’s 50’ “barn door” which opens Ozawa Hall to its lawn. Studio E is equipped with technologies that maximize its flexibility for performance, rehearsal, and educational offerings of the Tanglewood Learning Institute. A telescoping seating system with comfortable theater-style seating can be retracted automatically at the push of a button to create a flat floor for banquets, experimental performances, & full orchestra rehearsals. Variable acoustical elements and special acoustical diffusive shaping are concealed behind wood slat enclosing walls. The room’s acoustics can be tuned to support a wide range of activities from string quartets to the spoken word and amplified music. Robust audio-visual technology includes Internet capability and distance learning, giving the content created in this space a global presence.

Photos by Robert Benson Photography ©