The Rotunda is a cultural icon in the heart of what is now known as University City in West Philadelphia. Originally built as a Christian Science church in 1911, the building was purchased by the University of Pennsylvania in 1995 as part of a community investment strategy.

These days, over 300 events happen in the space every year and include live music of all genres, dance, film, spoken word, youth programs, community meetings and classes, and experimental artforms. Over 17,000 people visit The Rotunda every year.

The venue’s mission is to serve the art, cultural, and community needs of the surrounding area. This community venue has featured world-renowned performers like John Legend and Matisyahu as well as many talented community-based artists who might not otherwise get to perform on a stage to test their material. In addition to performance and exhibition opportunities, The Rotunda pays several performers and artists so that audience members can enter events free of charge. Furthermore, The Rotunda routinely sponsors youth programs and enrichment activities in which artists are paid to teach youth at no cost to these young participants.

The University City community and the creative community of artists and audiences who have utilized The Rotunda laud its accessibility and role in helping to incubate independent art and cultural efforts in Philadelphia.

The challenge is that the venue lacks the air-conditioning needed to support summer events without creating dangerous conditions for audiences and artists alike. We think it is time for the University of Pennsylvania, which sits on a $9 billion+ endowment, to upgrade the facility so that it can be utilized fully during summer months.

Music festivals, conferences, and seasonal, music-based events (indoors and outdoors) happen in the hottest months of the year in and around the Philadelphia area. Not having The Rotunda as a viable venue during those months is a missed opportunity for the neighborhood, the city, and the university. From hosting a music summer camp for youth to allowing seniors in the community to meet and engage comfortably in the historic space, to being connected to a Welcome America itinerary of activities, the sky is the limit for full utilization of The Rotunda between May and September. This is only viable if it can be upgraded with some form of air conditioning.

Recognizing the Greening of the campus, and the possible engineering efforts that may need to happen for a building built in 1911, we think the best minds exist on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania to sort out both the costs and technical needs of such a project.

To fulfill its commitment to the communities that surround the campus and to allow The Rotunda an enhanced capacity to reflect the potential as a venue, we ask the Board of Trustees and the university administration to consider a capital improvement project at The Rotunda that makes it accessible year round.