The Platform Opens in Kendall Square with BANDALOOP Performance

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 6, 2026 - BioMed Realty, Global Arts Live and Takeda celebrated the grand opening of The Platform at 585 Kendall on Nov. 5, marking the arrival of a new performing arts center designed to expand access to professional performance, rehearsal and gathering space in Cambridge.

The celebration featured internationally recognized vertical dance company BANDALOOP performing on the exterior of 585 Kendall while suspended from the building's roof. Inside, French-Algerian dance company Compagnie Hervé Koubi presented the Boston premiere of Sol Invictus in the 400-seat Takeda Theater at The Platform.

"The opening of The Platform marks an important moment for Kendall Square and the broader Cambridge community," said Salvatore Zinno, Senior Vice President of Development at BioMed Realty. "BANDALOOP's performance captured the vision behind this project by bringing an extraordinary artistic experience directly into the neighborhood. We are proud to open a place where artists, researchers, neighbors and visitors can come together."

"The Platform expands access to the arts while creating a new place for Cambridge residents, workers and visitors to connect," said Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui. "Its opening reflects the collaboration and sustained commitment that strengthen our cultural community and contribute to the vitality of Kendall Square and our region."

The celebration continues Saturday, Nov. 7, with a free public Opening Day from noon to 4 p.m. BANDALOOP will return for two outdoor performances at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., both visible from the surrounding area.

The public program will also feature Malian master drummer Sidy Maiga; the Kendall Square Orchestra, whose members include professionals from the local science, medicine and technology communities; singer Ella Faye; Bollywood Dance x Purnima; Gamelan Galak Tika; and A Trike Called Funk.

The Platform also commissioned a commemorative poem from Jean Dany Joachim, who served as Cambridge Poet Populist from 2009 to 2011. Opening Day will conclude with a separately ticketed performance of Sol Invictus by Compagnie Hervé Koubi in the Takeda Theater.

"The Platform is more than a new theater," said Connie C. Chin, Chief Executive Officer of Global Arts Live and The Platform. "It creates space for artists and ideas, for work that expands our perspectives, and for the connections that live performance makes possible. Opening our doors with this range of local and international artists reflects the welcoming cultural home we want The Platform to become."

Created to help address Greater Boston's documented need for midsized performance venues, The Platform occupies the first three floors of 585 Kendall. The 45,000-square-foot center includes the 400-seat Takeda Theater, the 125-seat Tempo Stage, a rehearsal studio, artist support spaces and a ground-floor commons with a bar, café and indoor gardens.

The Takeda Theater recognizes Takeda's naming rights sponsorship of the venue and its broader commitment to the communities where it operates, including Cambridge as its Global Hub. Takeda is also the anchor tenant at 585 Kendall, where its approximately 600,000-square-foot Global R&D Center will support Takeda's ability to bring teams together, deepen collaboration and accelerate drug discovery.

"Takeda's commitment to creating a healthier world extends beyond our work to bring life-transforming medicines to patients," said Rhonda Pacheco, President of Takeda's U.S. Business Unit and U.S. Country Head. "The Takeda Theater will provide a place where people can connect, exchange ideas and broaden their perspectives, strengthening the Cambridge community we call home."

Global Arts Live will operate The Platform and curate approximately one-third of its programming. Performance and rehearsal spaces will also be available to independent artists and community organizations at subsidized rates, with 25 nights offered rent-free each year through an application process.

The Platform was developed by BioMed Realty, a Blackstone Real Estate portfolio company, in collaboration with Global Arts Live and project partners including Takeda, CBT Architects, Suffolk Construction and Redgate.

Additional information about the Nov. 7 Opening Day celebration, including the full schedule and tickets for Compagnie Hervé Koubi, is available at www.theplatformkendall.org.

About The Platform

The Platform is a new performing arts center and cultural hub in Kendall Square serving artists and audiences across Cambridge, Greater Boston, and beyond. More than a stage, it's a platform for supporting artists and nonprofits; for showcasing work that expands our perspectives; and for fostering curiosity and conversation.

About BioMed Realty

BioMed Realty is the largest private owner of life science and technology real estate serving the innovation industries in the United States and the United Kingdom. BioMed Realty creates purpose-built environments for innovation, designed to accelerate impact, foster community and keep discovery moving. The Company owns and operates approximately 18 million square feet of purpose-built lab and office space across leading innovation hubs, including Boston/Cambridge, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Boulder and Cambridge, U.K. Throughout these markets, BioMed Realty invests in amenities, public spaces and programming that encourage connection among tenants and surrounding communities, including The Platform, the new performing arts center developed at 585 Kendall in Cambridge. To learn more, visit www.biomedrealty.com.

About Global Arts Live

Global Arts Live is a Cambridge-based nonprofit organization that puts the spotlight on exceptional artists who reflect the diversity and vitality of our community-transcending borders, cultivating connection, and enriching lives. Since 1990, it has been a trusted curator of music and dance from around the world, presenting more than 800 artists from over 110 countries enjoyed by over one million audience members.