Interlochen Center for the Arts Celebrates Sasaki’s Master Plan Implemented Over the Last Three Decades

The campus transformation achieved over the last 30 years provides facilities for each of Interlochen’s fine arts disciplines while preserving its natural environment, the Northwoods landscape and lakeside setting.

“The ability of the master plan to remain relevant over 30 years was due in large part to its conceptual framework,” says Ken Bassett, FASLA, Sasaki principal emeritus. “The framework focuses on the strategic siting of new facilities coupled with an attention to landscape improvements that unify the campus and enhance the pedestrian environment.”

Each year, thousands of artists and art patrons come to Interlochen to experience world class educational and cultural opportunities. Students study music, theater, visual arts, film, creative writing, and dance, guided by an outstanding faculty and guest artists, and inspired by the scenic beauty of the campus. Sasaki’s plan addressed the distinctly different populations, activities, and facility needs of the 400-student Arts Academy boarding school and the much larger Summer Arts Camp.

The plan identified several key projects that Sasaki carried through implementation: the renovation of an outdoor amphitheater, the Frohlich Piano and Percussion Building, and a new theater building: the Harvey Theatre.

“Sasaki’s plan was evolutionary in its ability to be accomplished in stages while recognizing that modifications would likely occur. But it was also complex and audacious in its scope,” says Trey Davey, President of Interlochen Center for the Arts. “The Sasaki Plan’s success is evident in both the unprecedented demand for our Camp and Academy experiences as well as the growing strength of our overall financial position.”

The completion of the master plan has garnered recognition in the Washington Post, Midland Daily News, and other press.