Innovating on: Adaptive Reuse

This production of a concept plan provides guidance for the redevelopment of the former Malden District Courthouse at 89 Summer Street in Malden into a center for arts and culture to serve the Malden community and those who live and work in the surrounding cities and towns. The concept plan responds to the need for space for artists, arts education, as well as community gatherings and cultural programming.

The city of Malden has fewer cultural facilities than its surrounding communities. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the closure of numerous arts and cultural venues throughout the greater Boston region. The Malden Center for Arts and Culture will help to revitalize the arts industry in Malden and beyond by providing new performance and studio spaces to replace those that have been shuttered.

The overarching goal of the Malden Arts and Culture Center is to support artists and community members through programming and events. Artist programming will include representation from multiple artistic disciplines and practices connected to cultural expression and celebration. The Center will foster opportunities for artists to share their crafts with the Malden community. Simultaneously, the Center will provide opportunities for community members to engage with artistic and cultural endeavors at every stage of the creative life cycle, allowing for various levels of engagement. Driven by collaboration with diverse communities of Malden, the Center will provide culturally inclusive and responsive programming in ways that highlight both emerging and traditional forms of creative and cultural expression. Finally, the Malden Center for Arts and Culture will host revenue-generating events across cultures and forms of media or art, including performances, classes and workshops, and makers' markets. Events and programming at the Center will serve to support local artists and community members in their endeavors and bring visiting performers and artists to Malden.