AURAS STUDIO

AURAS is located in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland. The studio is on the third floor of The AURAS Building, a renovated Masonic Lodge that was built in 1927. One of the most distinctive older buildings in downtown, much of the third floor ceremonial hall was restored during the renovation. A high, light-filled space that overlooks the new downtown Silver Spring project and the Discovery Communications building, the view out the window looks a lot different today than when we moved from Adams Morgan six years ago. Click on the thumbnails below to view the photos.

THE AURAS PLAZA

In front of the AURAS Building, a one-year project to build a wonderful pedestrian plaza has almost been completed. The small “pocket park” is a joint effort between AURAS and Montgomery County’s Silver Spring Regional Center to create a center of focus at the important intersection of Georgia and Wayne Avenues, across from the headquarters of Discovery Communications in downtown Silver Spring. The park will feature a commissioned sculpture in the center of a raised circular bed surrounded by plantings, stone and brick paving and benches for enjoying the view. Here is a Quicktime time-lapse movie of the building of the park.

AURAS STUDIO, 1927

On this cool day in April of 1927, the Masons laid the cornerstone for their lodge in Silver Spring, Maryland. Panoramic photographs like these were common records of civic and commercial events throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This is only a small protion of the image, click on it for a good look at the entire thing. Or, you can download a high resolution version by clicking here.