Center for Media, Film, and Theatre

The Center for Media, Film and, Theatre (CMFT) creates a new center for the Conservatory of Theatre Arts, the School of Film and Media Studies, and related arts programs.

Project Overview

The original college plans had called for an additional building to house Theater Arts next to the Visual Arts Building at the southwest end of the plaza. This building was never constructed, and the programs are currently spread out in a number of different buildings on campus.

Project Goals

The goals and objectives of this project were to create a center for these programs, promote the college’s mission of integration and collaboration between conservatory programs in the arts and liberal arts programs, and develop a design that will provide teaching, learning, and performance spaces that promote and showcase collaboration between areas of study.

Research

Utilizing the Perkins Eastman Space Study (April 8, 2008) report, which highlighted the need on campus for a more centralized location for both schools and identified a number of underdeveloped and underutilized spaces, the new CMFT occupies the southwest corner of the plaza and the space between Theatre D (also referred to as the Black Box) and the Library. This space was formally occupied by the Post Office and Bookstore. Both were relocated and incorporated into the new designs.

Ideal Location

This location allowed us the opportunity to create a new gateway to the campus. The CMFT helps define a campus entry, while creating a sense of arrival and a destination point that will integrate the public and academic worlds at the college.

The CMFT also explore ways in which to engage and/or incorporate elements of the Performing Arts Center and the Neuberger Museum into the new designs.

Lead Agency: The State University Construction Fund

Design: FXCollaborative Architects LLP

Contractor: Worth Construction Co., Inc.

Construction Management: Hill International

Budget: $42 million