This 132,000 square foot multi-use Arts Center houses both Visual Arts and Performing Arts spaces as well as classrooms, teaching labs and a 3-level subterranean parking deck. The facility includes a 50,000 square foot Arts Gallery, a 215-seat Recital Hall, a 2,200 square foot Dance Recital Studio, a 2,000 square foot Theater Studio, and a 6,000 square foot Rotunda Pre-Function Area. Built on an extremely sensitive site, close communication between the University, design and construction teams, and the community were required to ensure the project's success.
The Katzen Arts Center is a multi-use art center that supports the needs of the Performing Arts and Art Departments. The project includes 132,000 SF of building area above a 193,000 SF 550 car parking deck. The five level parking deck includes 21/2 levels below grade.
The building design encompasses three major components spaced along a circulation spine. The first component is the Academic Wing and it contains two three-story atriums. The first atrium, which is two stories tall and circular, defines the entrance. This wing includes 26 Art Studios and Classrooms for Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Computer Graphics, Music Theory, and Art History, 16 Music Practice Rooms, 4 Music Teaching Studios and a Slide Library.
The second component is the Performance Wing including a music ensemble room, dance and theater studios, 24 graduate student studios, 2,700 sf Dance Studio, a 3600 sf Black Box/Dance Rehearsal Space and a 200 seat Recital Hall. Three stories tall and rectangular in shape, the performance spaces are surrounded by teaching spaces. The lower level contains the music practice rooms, studios and the Art History Suite. The ground level contains the graduate studios, art studios, and classrooms. The second level contains the faculty offices, additional art studios, classrooms and computer labs.
The last component, located closest to Ward Circle, is a three-story Art Gallery and its support spaces. The 17,000 sf three level Gallery Wing is the most public to the east end of the site adjacent to Ward Circle with the semi-public Performance and Performing Arts Studio wing and the Academic wing (Classrooms, Practice Rooms, Art Studios and Faculty offices) is situated at the west end of the site.