Carnegie Mellon University Purnell Center for the Arts

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Type: Arts & Entertainment
Educational 

Awards: 2000 Society of American Registered Architects Design Award of Honor

1999 AIA-SFV Citation Award

1998 AIA-SFV Citation Award 

We were the Joint Venture Architect in charge of spatial organization and performance spaces for this state-of-the-art building, which houses the educational and performance spaces for the School of Drama, the first degree granting school in the nation. The 110,000 square foot facility includes a 10,000 square foot museum/gallery for the School of Art.  The venues include a 450-seat theatre for plays, musicals and operas used by the School of Music, a 130-seat flexible black box theatre a video sound stage and recording studio.  The main stage is transformable to various stage and seating modes and provides variable acoustics for different uses.  The facility has all the audience, artistic and technical support spaces necessary for optimum functioning.  It includes 2 rehearsal rooms, a dance studio and a movement studio.  The majority of the classrooms and faculty offices are located on the third floor.  The administrative offices are on the second floor overlooking the Grand Lobby.  The exterior of the building reflects the facades of the existing buildings on campus.  This project was completed in 2001 for a final cost of $30,020,000.