The building on University of Chicago Laboratory School’s maincampus reinterprets the 1904 limestone facade of the neighboring Belfield Hall and establishes a visual dialogue between the old and new. The predominantly orthogonal mass features a cylindrical volume that houses the auditorium and establishes a connection between the Sherry Lansing Theater to the east, the interior gardento the south and the main entrance to the northwest.
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Dedicated to providing a hands-on learning environment, the Gordon Parks Arts Hall features a variety of spaces, including art and music labs on the upper floors and a formal art gallery, two large rehearsal rooms and the Studio Theater – also used for cinema screenings – on the ground floor. Adjacent are two large performance spaces; the 750-seat assembly and music hall, and the Sherry Lansing 250-seat black-box theater, which also can be used as a sound stage. Every space in the Arts Hall has been designed to create and present content.
+ Valerio Dewalt Train Associates
Photos by Barbara Karantand Steve Hall
