Building will house School of Music performance and academic space
The Brigham Young University Board of Trustees has approved plans to construct a new Music Building for the College of Fine Arts and Communications. The building, which will be located at the south end of the parking lot east of the BYU Law School, will house the BYU School of Music’s performance and academic space.
“We are humbled and thrilled with the Board’s support of the College of Fine Arts and Communications,” said Ed Adams, Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications. “The Church has a long history of supporting music and the arts, and this new building will expand upon the university’s commitment to producing inspiring and uplifting art.”
The 170,000-square-foot Music Building will have four levels and feature more mid-sized spaces for practice and recitals, including practice rooms located on the upper floor. The cornerstone of the new building will be a 1000-seat concert hall built in the vineyard style. Vineyard style performance spaces are intended to keep musicians centralized, with audience seating rising above them in tiers — reminiscent of a terraced vineyard.
“While this spatial approach was primarily developed with optimal acoustics and line of sight in mind, BYU’s concert hall will also serve a distinct pedagogical purpose, as it will allow students and patrons alike to have a clear view of performer technique,” Adams said. “The venue will be the first of its kind in the Intermountain West, marking a significant achievement in musical innovation and excellence in the region.”
Construction is scheduled to begin by late spring 2020 and is expected to be completed by Fall Semester 2022. Big D Construction has been selected as the general contractor for the project, with HKS Architects as the architecture firm.
The College of Fine Arts and Communications has long been an integral part of BYU. The School of Music was one of the original four departments when the university opened doors, and the Harris Fine Arts Center is the most-used academic building on campus, presenting more than 500 performances a year.
The Harris Fine Arts Center was dedicated in 1965 and currently houses four of the college’s six academic units (Art, Design, Music, Theatre & Media Arts), as well as offices for college administration and Arts Production.
