“Art” is a small word with a large, multifaceted definition far exceeding its character length. While many people may define art as that which is on display at a local gallery, art can actually be found, in one way or another, across just about any discipline imaginable. It makes sense, then, that Rice University’s new Moody Center for the Arts is conceived as a multi-disciplinary lab that will contain “an experimental platform for creating and presenting works in all disciplines,” ArchDaily reports.
The 50,000-sf building will be located in the new arts district of the campus along with the Shepherd School of Music and James Turrell’s Twilight Epiphany Skyspace. The structure will be composed of an art gallery space, a 150-seat black box theater, an experimental performance space, and a café. A natural-light-filled atrium, which contains a maker lab and immediate access to a wood shop, metal shop, paint booth, rapid prototyping areas, classrooms, a technology library, and AV editing booths, is envisioned as an interior campus quad.
The building’s exterior will feature a brick-clad upper story with cantilevers that create covered walkways below. The floor-to-ceiling glass-encased entry level will provide a strong juxtaposition to the second level’s brick exterior.
A new artist-in-residence program will also be housed in the Moody, with Mona Hatoum set to be the first resident beginning in spring 2017, just a few months after the building is scheduled to open to the public on February 24, 2017.
Currently under construction, the Moody is funded by a $20 million grant from the Moody Foundation, a charitable organization with an emphasis on education, social services, children’s needs and community development. Among others, the Brown Foundation is also providing funding.
Rendering courtesy of Michael Maltzan Architecture, Inc. via ArchDaily
Rendering courtesy of Michael Maltzan Architecture, Inc. via ArchDaily
Photo courtesy of Michael Maltzan Architecture, Inc. via ArchDaily
Rendering courtesy of Michael Maltzan Architecture, Inc. via ArchDaily
Related Stories
Higher Education | Sep 18, 2017
Campus landscape planning of the future: A University of Wisconsin-Madison case study
Recognizing that the future health of the campus and lake are interdependent, this innovative approach will achieve significant improvements in stormwater management and water quality within the university’s restored, more connected network of historic and culturally rich landscapes.
University Buildings | Sep 15, 2017
New Blinn College Residence Hall hopes to decrease the size of the campus housing wait list
In 2016, more than 400 students were placed on the wait list due to lack of available on-campus housing.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Sep 11, 2017
Mid-size, multi-use arenas setting a trend for the future
While large 20,000-seat sports venues aren’t going away, mid-size venues provide advantages the big arenas do not in a time of budget constraints and the need for flexibility.
Giants 400 | Sep 7, 2017
Top 95 university construction firms
Turner Construction Co., The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., and Barton Malow top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest university sector contractor and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Sep 7, 2017
Mashup in the halls of ivy: Campus expansions put the emphasis on elevating the student experience
Today’s multi-functional buildings support a diverse range of academic programs, with transparent walls to foster interdisciplinary collaboration.
University Buildings | Sep 5, 2017
Rohrer College of Business supports the schools academic programs with several key spaces
Designed by KSS Architects and Goody Clancy, the new facility opened prior to the fall 2017 school year.
University Buildings | Sep 1, 2017
The University of Texas receives boutique-style student housing complex
The Ruckus Lofts provide 46 furnished units and 165 beds for UT students.
Libraries | Aug 30, 2017
1850s library building is brought into the 21st century
The original building was updated and given a new extension and landscaping.
University Buildings | Aug 28, 2017
Just what the doctor ordered: St. Louis College of Pharmacy receives new student center
The $50 million building adds over 193,000 sf of space to the campus.
University Buildings | Aug 25, 2017
‘Chapel of food’ becomes one of Clemson’s go-to spaces on campus
The new dining hall is part of the school’s ongoing efforts to maintain its standing among the country’s top 20 public universities.
