PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — When students pass through Brown University’s Ruth J. Simmons Quadrangle, they’re greeted by the bronze equestrian statue of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, flanked on either side by sets of granite staircases.

Aurelius’ view began to shift in June, as construction crews broke ground on a renovation to the quad. 

With a target completion date of October 2025, the donor-funded project will introduce a terraced amphitheater, new seating areas and lush landscaping. The space will provide a comfortable setting for instructors to teach outdoors on nice days and for students and organizations looking for an accessible venue for performances, social activities or simply gathering between classes. 

The redesign builds on landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted’s original 1901 plan for the quad, which is located between Thayer Street and Sayles Hall, balancing historic preservation with modern infrastructure and evolving student needs.

“We can imagine students using this in a really organic way,” said Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students Koren Bakkegard. “We’re excited about the ways that the entire Brown community might use the space or even create something new based around the updated features.”

With its tiered layout and open-air setting, the amphitheater will serve as a natural venue for performances and a stage for impromptu expression, inviting spontaneous and experimental use of the quad as a site of collaboration and creativity, said Sydney Skybetter, director of the Brown Arts Institute. 

“It’s a space for interdisciplinary exploration,” Skybetter said. “It also gives visiting artists a place to work with and alongside our campus community — not tucked away, but right out in the open. That’s the kind of creative research the Brown Arts Institute is here to support."