Multiple divisions of Marr Scaffolding Company (MSC) have been working at the new Prior Performing Arts Center at the College of the Holy Cross campus in Worcester, MA. Construction includes a 400-seat apron-style concert hall and theater; a 200-seat, fully flexible experimental theater space; support space including a scene shop and costume shop; the Beehive, a flexible space with a café that will support creative collaboration among students; as well as the new home of the Cantor Art Gallery.

MSC’s Aerial Lifts Division installed suspended swing-stage work platforms along the existing interior walls to enable drywall subcontractor H. Carr & Sons to install aluminum studs and base dry wall. In addition, Marr installed a custom engineered monorail system, currently in use by H. Carr, to hoist and install acoustical stone panels, each weighing approximately 550 lbs. each.

MSC’s Scaffold Division partnered with General Contractor Dimeo Construction to address additional project needs. Marr facilitated the transfer of four scissor lifts and a 22,500 lb. boom lift to various parts of the building and auditorium; to accommodate this transfer, Marr installed 110 linear feet of shoring along a corridor at the basement level. Inside the auditorium over the orchestra pit, Marr built a shoring platform with systems scaffolding flush to the height of the stage to accommodate the usage of the aerial lifts in the space. Marr also installed reshoring directly below the stage to transfer the weight of the shoring above. These scopes of work required extensive in-house custom design and engineering.

For each of these complex phases of work, Marr team members worked cross-divisionally to deliver for the project team. Expect to see the spotlight on arts shining bright at Holy Cross in 2021.