Related Projects
Area
90,000 sf
Certification
LEED Silver
In the Media
Building Type Studies, Architectural Record
A Shapely College Building, Philadelphia Inquirer
The building has been designed to exacting acoustic standards both for the quality of sound within each room and the control of sound between rooms.
Arriving at the courtyard, visitors proceed through a glass pavilion into the lobby. The lobby connects a 375-seat performance hall, a 125-seat recital hall, and an art gallery.
The convergence of the arts is represented by the collection of dynamic forms at the main entrance and public courtyard.
The complex creates an engaging path from the main campus. The portion closest to main campus is the School of Music, whose large curving wall creates a lyrical presence for the school.
School of Music &
Performing Arts Center
West Chester University
West Chester University, a major public university in an expanding far suburb of Philadelphia, consolidated its disparate departments of performing and visual arts. A new building for the School of Music is the nucleus of a cultural center for the new College. The facility also represents a new university commitment to sustainable design, achieving a Silver rating from the US Green Building Council’s LEED program.
The design creates a dual identity within a single building: the Swope School of Music and a Performing Arts Center. The two primary areas of the building are united around a courtyard that serves as the front porch of the complex. The courtyard creates a memorable ceremonial route into the building, immersing people in the art of performance. It also offers separation from the adjacent large parking lot serving this section of campus.