Auburn,AL
The Auburn University Performing Arts Center (AUPAC) will be located on the southern end of the University’s main campus located to the west of the existing Jule Collins Smith Museum. The AUPAC will provide state-of-the-art performance spaces for use by Auburn University and visiting artists to Auburn. The project includes two venues: a mid-sized multipurpose theatre and a smaller venue purpose-built for music.
AUPAC will be part of a 27+ acre Cultural/Public District that will enhance the visibility of the performing and fine arts as well as increase the presence of publicly-oriented facilities along South College Street. This concentration of cultural facilities will support the University’s desire to create a memorable campus gateway.
The facility will have similar technology and production capabilities as civic and commercial performing arts centers, however it will also support the work of academic departments of dance, music, and theater. Students require a building configuration that permits hands-on experience in rehearsing productions, scenic and costume construction, lighting, the stage-design disciplines, and the opportunity to “crew” shows. Beyond the architecture of theater, space must be allotted for faculty and students to gather. The new performance venue can be designed to maximize its utilization with spaces that permit a range of uses and encourage communal activity throughout the day and into evening performances.
In addition, AUPAC will have flexibility to host a wide variety of theatrical works, live music acts, dance presentations, and an array of visiting artists. Today’s academic venues must accommodate programming with a strong education focus, space for campus or community events, and the flexibility for rental uses which are important for maintaining higher facility utilization rates.
Most importantly, the center must provide programming that effectively engages the local community, while demonstrating an university’s enduring commitment to arts education.
The AUPAC will be a seminal capital project for the University and the Lee County region. It will elevate the campus and entire community’s quality of life with a new facility designed to become a vibrant hub of creative activity and community engagement. The venue will combine arts and education with spaces to support experimentation and community outreach, transforming this portion of the campus into a thriving artistic hub and campus gateway.
CLIENT: Auburn University
COMPLETION: 2016
SIZE: 90,000 square feet
