THE OPPORTUNITY

For over 83 years the Norcross-Mclaughlin Memorial Dell Amphitheater provided a venue for outdoor performances and public events for Camden County. The amphitheater is just one of the many amenities offered within the more massive 73.47 acres of the Haddon Lake Park system. When the County was ready to invest in an upgrade to the existing facility, PS&S was selected to design and detail a new amphitheater, stage and entry plaza for the venue. The proposal looked to provide additional seating, meet ADA guidelines, and provide a design that respected the heritage of the existing amphitheater.

THE CHALLENGE

The complicated to.pography and steep natural slope of the surrounding terrain presented a few challenges when looking to increase seating capacity, meet ADA guidelines, and keep the limit of the disturbance outside of the flood hazard line. The design process required multiple micro-grading exercises for each configuration to meet both technical and design standards.

THE PS&S SOLUTION

The final design emulates the heritage of the former amphitheater with modern stone veneer walls, custom wood bench seating, wide artificial turf cross aisles, and paver paths with handrails leading up and down the new amphitheater. Visitors to the new venue are now greeted by a new entry sign that opens into a brick paver plaza with new lighting and safety bollards. Increased accessibility and a variety of seating types now provide Camden County with the ability to safely host more massive crowds at the new Norcross Mclaughlin Memorial Dell Amphitheater.