Building World-Class Arts Facilities

The Arts initiative's goals will require new and upgraded spaces for studios, exhibitions, rehearsals, and performances. The need for such space among Stanford students, faculty, and visitors far exceeds anything available. The lack of facilities frequently functions as a limitation on the ability of the arts departments and organizations on campus to develop the sort of innovative programming appropriate to a university of Stanford's stature. As part of a master plan for arts facilities spanning 15 to 20 years Stanford is pursuing a system of both "clustered" and "distributed" spaces. The clustered spaces will bring together the arts departments around the Cantor Arts Center and a new Concert Hall, creating a new ARTS DISTRICT. The distributed arts spaces will eventually create new resources throughout the campus, including dedicated arts spaces within the student residences.

Important projects have already been completed, including renovation of Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Accoustics and the creation of a temporary "black box" theatre for the Drama Department. During The Stanford Challenge, the Arts Initiative will focus on three major building projects:

BING CONCERT HALL
Stanford plans to build a new 900-seat BING CONCERT HALL that meets the latest acoustical and technical standards, along with rehearsal facilities for Music Department ensembles. Designed to join the ranks of America's finest performance spaces, the center will accommodate world-renowned artists whose needs cannot currently be met by Memorial and Dinkelspiel auditoriums.

ART BUILDING
Stanford is also planning a new ART BUILDING, including facilities for the new Film and Media Studies Program. The building will be adjacent to the Cantor Arts Center, helping to integrate all the visual arts on campus and to coordinate courses, exhibitions, film screenings, and other programs. The new building will add flexible studio-art teaching spaces and technology-rich infrastructure for digital art, media production and filmmaking and screening.

PLATTNER DESIGN INSTITUTE
The new Hasso Plattner Institute of Design will be housed in the renovated Building 550, a classic Stanford structure just south of the Quad. The 47,000-square-foot building will feature versatile spaces designed for collaborative learning, team teaching, and group projects.

The addition of the new Art Building next to Cantor Arts Center and a new Concert Hall next to Frost Amphitheater will help to create a campus Arts District around the Oval. A pedestrian "arts walk" will connect the district's various elements. Eventual additions may include new facilities for drama and music. Accessible from Palm Drive, the Arts District will facilitate ties between Stanford and its local community.