A view as seen from the main entrance to the Campus with the gymnasium to the left as a backdrop to an arcaded administrative wing and classrooms and break-out spaces above.

A stone arcade serves to tie the architecture of the Black Box Theater and Multi-Purpose Room back to the scale of the Campus.

A detail of the front entrance set back from the drop-off with an arcade designed to mitigate the disparity in grade as one enters the building; and to shelter students waiting for pick-up in the late afternoons.

A view from the "infinity loop" running track as it works it's way around the gym towards and up towards the third level.

The theater is designed with retractable seating to allow for banquets. A modified loft due to zoning height restrictions still allows sets to be flown. The construction of the house walls features acoustically permeable wood screens, enabling the use of retractable acoustic drapes to modulate the room’s reverberation characteristics for optimal musical theater performance.

The Leadership Center for Wellness, Athletics, and the Performing Arts

Kent Place School | Summit, NJ

The Kent Place Leadership Center emerges from a deliberate and thoughtful integration of two seemingly disparate disciplines—athletics and theater—into a unified architectural expression of performance. This new facility replaces a long-serving domestic structure that, over time, had become a shared space for the theater department and the overflow needs of the adjacent athletic field house. In its place, the Leadership Center offers a purpose-built environment that honors and elevates both programs equally.

The design concept is rooted in the belief that the development of young women requires a holistic approach—one that nurtures the mind, body, and soul. While athletics and theater are often viewed as unrelated, the Leadership Center challenges this notion by creating shared spaces that celebrate the discipline, creativity, and leadership inherent in both pursuits.

At the heart of the building is a symbolic and functional gesture: an eight-of-a-mile internal running track that loops through and around the structure in the form of an infinity symbol. Spanning two floors and bridging over itself above a double-height lobby, the track physically and metaphorically connects the two wings of the building—athletic and performing arts—underscoring the continuous journey of personal growth and leadership.

This architectural union reflects Kent Place School’s mission to cultivate well-rounded leaders. By bringing together spaces for physical training, artistic expression, and intellectual development under one roof, the Leadership Center becomes more than a building—it becomes a vessel for transformation.

Design Team

Lorenzo Mattii, AIA - Principal, Design Lead | While previously employed by JCJ Architecture
Larry Sassi, AIA - Project Architect
Tao Zhang | Currently at Urban Quotient

Architect of Record: JCJ Architecture

Renderings: JCJ Architects