Published: April 04, 2008 07:01 pm         

Architect picked to design new Music Building

Minneapolis-based HGA Architects and Engineers (HGA) was selected on Friday to design a new $23.5 million Music Building to be built on the campus of Texas A&M University-Commerce.

HGA has a long history of architectural and technical designing numerous performing and visual arts facilities for colleges and universities nationwide.

HGA will provide programming, architectural, and engineering design services for the music building.

According to HGA spokeswoman Julie Luers, the music building will replace existing facilities to support performance, teaching, rehearsal, administrative and support services for program growth to 250 undergraduate majors and 29 full-time faculty members in the Department of Music.

The building program includes classrooms, rehearsal spaces, practice rooms and faculty studios. State-of-the-art acoustics will highlight a 500-seat concert hall for orchestra, band, choral and mixed ensembles up to 100 musicians. In addition, a 100-seat recital hall will spotlight performances by individual musicians and small ensembles.

The music building will be located on the campus's west side, prominently located between the main university entrance and Memorial Stadium. The design will reflect the existing brick and masonry architecture while incorporating unique architectural elements that reinforce a strong presence on campus.

"The music building is an opportunity to create a gateway building that will serve the campus community as well as the city of Commerce and northeast Texas," said Gary Reetz, HGA vice president, in a press release. "The music program has a strong reputation for training both music educators and performers. The building will strengthen the students' educational experience while offering cultural opportunities to the larger community outside the university."

BRW Architects, Inc., of Dallas, Texas, is Associate Architect. Other team members include Acoustic Dimensions of New York and Dallas as acoustic and audio-visual consultant, and Schuler Shook of Dallas as theater consultants.

HGA has begun schematic designs. Groundbreaking is scheduled for summer 2008, with move-in slated for mid-2010.

Among HGA's recent visual and performing arts facilities are the Performing Arts Center at Illinois State University, Normal; Yue-Kong Pao Hall for Visual and Performing Arts at Purdue University; West Lafayette, Indiana; Benedicta Arts Center Expansion at the College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, Minnesota; Art, Theater and Dance Complex at Columbus State University, Columbus, Georgia; and the Performing Arts Center at California State University, Northridge, scheduled for Spring 2008 groundbreaking.