Location:
Athens, GA
Area:
205,00 SF
1997 International Illumination Design Award of Merit
Illuminating Engineering Society of North America
The Performing and Visual Arts Center anchors a complex that includes the University of Georgia’s School of Music and the Georgia Museum of Art. It is home to the 1100-seat Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall and the 360-seat Ramsey Concert Hall, along with dressing and support spaces. A shared lobby traverses sharp changes in elevation across the width of the site. An emphasis on music performance allowed designers to wrap the stage with seating. 360-degree seating allows a variety of vantage points for audiences.
The Georgia Museum of Art houses 35,000 square feet of galleries, storage and curatorial workrooms, as well as a 260-seat auditorium, museum shop and cafe. Some space is provided for rotating exhibitions of the University’s permanent collection of paintings and prints, with the balance assigned to temporary and traveling exhibits.
The School of Music moved the University of Georgia’s music program out of a shared classroom building and into a structure equipped with a music library, multiple performance spaces, and rehearsal rooms and studios fitted with adjustable acoustics and sound-isolating construction. Key features include a 200-seat auditorium with acoustics that can be adjusted by the performer and an experimental music studio – a black box theatre for music performance.
