The University of Montevallo completed its Center for the Arts, a transformative project for Alabama’s only public liberal arts college. Designed as a creative engine for discovery and innovation, the 36,000-square-foot facility brought together teaching, learning, and collaboration across the College of Fine Arts.
Designed in tandem with Theatre Consultants Collaborative, the center provided comprehensive instructional spaces and fostered collaboration across disciplines. The design team worked closely with university faculty and staff to create a performance and educational venue that unified students and faculty throughout the College of Fine Arts.
Conceived as a “collaboratory,” the center was designed to encourage interaction, interdisciplinary exchange, and creativity. The facility featured a 350-seat theater equipped with advanced acoustics and technology, as well as a flexible 100-seat black box theater.
Additional spaces included an art gallery, theater department offices, multipurpose classrooms and studios, a digital fabrication lab, and dedicated scene design and wardrobe shops. The project balanced the diverse needs of the arts programs while maintaining the acoustic and functional integrity of both performance venues.
A spacious front entry plaza created a welcoming “front porch” for the building, offering sweeping views of campus and serving as a dynamic outdoor gathering space for performances, receptions, and events.
Project team:
Owner - University of Montevallo
GC - Blalock
Program Manager - TCU
Structural - MBA
Civil - MBA
MEP - Edmonds/Dewberry
Landscape - Johnson & Co.