The concept for the building is supposed to be a “portal,” architecturally communicating a gateway to the convergence of the arts and technology.
On Friday, October 25, noon-4 pm, the University of Texas at Dallas is hosting a Campus Preview Day for its new $60 million, 155,000 square-foot facility that houses programs in visual arts, emerging media technology and multimedia communications. The building was designed by STUDIOS Architecture, which also designed the Googleplex in Mountain View, California.
The Edith O’Donnell Arts and Technology Building doesn’t just add new drawing, painting and photo classrooms, it has some pretty cool-sounding features. The 1,200-seat lecture hall has an electronic acoustic system that changes wavelengths to filter out certain sounds. There is now classroom space for game design, sound design, a motion capture lab, and a recording studio. The building also features an anechoic chamber (echo-free space) that completely absorbs reflections of sound or electromagnetic waves.
If you miss the Preview Day on Friday, there will be a formal dedication ceremony on November 7, the same day as the unveiling of the stainless steel outdoor courtyard version of Liz Larner’s sculpture X, commissioned by the Nasher Sculpture Center in conjunction with its 10th anniversary exhibition Nasher XChange. Then, on November 9, the building will hold its Inaugural Concert, featuring the world premiere of Robert Xavier Rodríguez’s De Rerum Natura, commissioned by UT Dallas for this occasion.
