The HGA-designed precinct, in partnership with Moseley Architects, creates a “front door” to the arts.
Acclaimed interdisciplinary design firm HGA is pleased to announce the completion of two phases of the College of William & Mary Fine and Performing Arts Quarter, located in Williamsburg, Virginia. HGA led the architectural design, interior design, and lighting efforts for the state-of-the-art performing arts buildings with Moseley Architects as the Architect-of-Record, Apeiro Design theatre consultants, and Jaffe Holden for acoustics and audio/video. The design created a front door to the arts district to welcome people in, showcase the College’s programs for teaching the arts, and give presence and connection to broader Williamsburg community.
Blending the Historic Campus Aesthetic with a Contemporary Aesthetic
The College of William & Mary’s historic buildings were built with a unique brick color blend in a Flemish bond pattern, a signature campus aesthetic. One of these buildings is the Wren Building, where a cornerstone was laid in 1695.
For the Arts Quarter, School leadership wanted the buildings to have a distinct identity and contemporary aesthetic. HGA designed the new music building and transformed the midcentury Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall (PBK) which is home to theater and dance, creating a dynamic new section of the campus. Designed for teaching the performing arts, these buildings will be used for instruction and extra-curricular activities in music, theater, and dance, putting arts on display.
Creating the Arts Quarter
The campus’s signature Flemish bond brick is blended with new materials, metal panels and wood in the renovated exteriors of PBK and the new music building. Much of the glass contains a ceramic frit to minimize solar heat gain and meet bird-safe glazing requirements. The materials and color palettes are of the campus tradition while their applications are modern and artful.
“We were honored to design William & Mary’s innovative performing arts complex,” said Rebecca Krull-Kraling, principal with HGA. “Respectful of the historic campus, we took stock of the existing materials and motifs of the campus architecture and melded them with the arts complex’s contemporary aesthetic.” She continued, “These buildings, striking in beauty and integrated in context, express to students, faculty, and the community the university’s dedication to nurturing, understanding, and promoting the arts in all forms.”
HGA renovated and expanded the 101,550 square foot Phi Beta Kappa Hall which was built in the 1950’s into a more transparent, welcoming, energy efficient and completely accessible facility that welcomes students, faculty, and the wider community. The new Music Building moves the music department out of Ewell Hall, a building on the historic campus, into a purpose-built facility tailored to music’s unique requirements with a focus on the acoustic performance of the facility.
A Contemporary Take of the Wren Building, William & Mary’s Oldest Building
The contemporary interior design of the 400-seat Concert Hall and 100-seat Comey Recital Hall in the Music Building recalls two of the primary spaces in the College’s oldest building, the Wren Building. The adjustable acoustic concert hall being the signature space for large performances while the recital hall is for more intimate presentations. The building also includes a percussion studio, instrument and choral rehearsal rooms, and a rehearsal studio for non-western music ensembles as well as practice rooms and teaching studios.
Phi Beta Kappa Hall is the hub of the Arts Quarter. Notable spaces in the renovated and expanded theater and dance building include three theater spaces, ranging in size from 75 to 500 seats, scenic art and costume labs, acting studios, and dance recital and rehearsal spaces. Additionally, PBK includes active learning classroom, design and multi-media labs, a lighting lab and the second floor provides spaces for faculty and students to work, study, collaborate and gather. Both buildings feature current audio/video technologies designed by Jaffe Holden and LED-based theatrical lighting systems design by Apeiro Design.
Designed and constructed with sustainable initiatives, the performing arts buildings are designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification.
There was an opening dedication for the facilities on October 19, 2023. Learn more at W&M News here.
Specialty Consultants:
- Jaffe Holden Acoustics, Acoustical and Audio/Video Consultant
- Apeiro Design, Theatre Consultant
- Whiting-Turner, Construction
About HGA
HGA is an acclaimed interdisciplinary design firm committed to making a positive, lasting impact for our clients and communities through research-based, holistic solutions. We believe that great design requires a sense of curiosity—forming deep insight into our clients, their contexts, and the human condition. We are a collective of over 1,000 architects, engineers, interior designers, planners, researchers, and strategists, with 12 offices. Our national practice spans multiple markets, including corporate, cultural, education, local and federal government, healthcare, and science and technology. Visit HGA.com or follow on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
About Moseley
Moseley Architects provides multidisciplinary services to clients worldwide. They strive to enrich communities by collaborating with colleges and universities, local governments, public schools, correctional institutions and private sector clients. Founded in 1969 in Richmond, Virginia, Moseley Architects’ footprint includes offices in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and South Carolina. More information can be found at www.moseleyarchitects.com.