The resolutions and policies now in effect as voted on by the Board of Trustees last fall include five major capital projects: School of Music performance hall, Fine Arts multi-purpose building, new residence halls in Worth Hills, improvements to Bellaire Drive North and the expansion of Amon G. Carter Stadium. We will feature each project in upcoming editions of TCU This Week.
Just as the creation of the Campus Commons has transformed the west side of campus, the addition of both the School of Music performance hall and a new multi-purpose Fine Arts building will further enhance the student experience and landscape on the east side of campus.
The Creative Commons—connecting Mary Couts Burnett Library, J.M. Moudy Visual Arts and Communication Building and Rees-Jones Hall—will be developed through the construction of the new School of Music performance hall to the south and the new Fine Arts building to the north.
The new Fine Arts building, located to the east of the Moudy Building and designed to meet the teaching and faculty needs of Interior Design & Fashion Merchandising as well as Graphic Design, will bring together for the first time these inter-related disciplines, currently located in multiple buildings across campus. Students will advance their preparation for careers in these industries in state-of-the-art labs, studios and classrooms. Construction work for the new Fine Arts building is expected to begin in March.
Complementing the new Fine Arts building is the School of Music performance hall, expected to become a signature icon for TCU with its two-story glass front lobby, custom cast stone panels and signature wood interior finishes. Located to the north of Rees-Jones Hall, the building will house rehearsal spaces for both orchestra and band students. At the heart of this building is a custom-designed 700-seat concert hall that will host hundreds of music events each year. The facility’s acoustics will be maximized to respond to all types of music, and the configuration of seats will create a sense of connection and intimacy as the audience surrounds the performers.
Construction for the performance hall is expected to begin in May and be completed by 2020, with parking available directly to the east of the facility and in additional lots farther east on Lowden Street.
“The Creative Commons will serve as a front door to the University through the hundreds of events we host each year,” said Anne Helmreich, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “These new facilities will allow us to develop the next leading generation of artists and designers, and to showcase our students and faculty in innovative spaces that reflect their talents.”
The evolution of the east side of campus is intentional, based on the needs of the University and our students and outlined in the Facilities Master Plan, a tool to demonstrate campus potential.