The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

Center for the Arts

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University Center for the Arts (general view), Valparaiso University

Institution Name: Valparaiso University
Original/Historic Place Name: Center for the Arts
Location on Campus: east campus
Date(s) of Construction:

1995	original construction Hammel, Green & Abrahamson

Designer: Hammel, Green & Abrahamson (Minneapolis, MN)
Type of Place: Individual building
Style: Contemporary (Glossary)
Significance: architecture, culture, education
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Materials:

Foundation: steel reinforced concrete

Walls: masonry

Roof: rubber membrane

Function:

1995-present (2006)	auditorium
1995-present (2006)	theater
1995-present (2006)	museum
1995-present (2006)	academic department building (art, music, and theater and television departments)

Narrative:
The Valparaiso University Center for the Arts was erected in 1994-95 to bring together into one cultural focal point the previously dispersed departments of art, music, and theater and television. The strikingly beautiful structure, while incorporating the existing architectural vernacular of the University's East Campus, at the same time reflects the richness and diversity of the art forms it serves. Its large glass-walled lobby, looking out to the Chapel, is a gathering space for patrons of the art museum, theater, and recital hall, which are all accessible from it. Designed, first of all, for teaching and learning and, secondly, for public exhibition and performance, the Center also provides specialized classrooms, studios, choral and orchestral rehearsal rooms, photography facilities, and computer graphic design lab. Since its dedication in 1995, enrollment in the arts has doubled.

References:

Baepler, Richard. Flame of Faith, Lamp of Learning: A History of Valparaiso University. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2001.

Hammel, Green, and Abrahamson. Master Plan. [Minneapolis, MN: Hammel, Green, and Abrahamson], 1997.