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To ensure the quality of existing cultural arts programs and expand arts collaborations with the community, West Chester University of Pennsylvania is building the new School of Music and Performing Arts Center. Projected for completion in the Spring of 2006, it will feature a 375-seat performance hall as well as a 125-seat recital hall along with an art gallery. The center will host campus and community events and make West Chester University of Pennsylvania the cultural center of Chester County. It will be located on High Street, adjacent to the Bull Center, which houses the University Theater.
These facilities will:
- increase the University's capacity to serve growing numbers of students in music, theatre, art, and dance
- new curricular development
- improve the quality of music and arts instruction and expand faculty access to instructional tools that enhance teaching
- broaden the array of performing arts programming in which WCU can engage (theatre, opera, symphony, musical theater, art, etc.)
- provide community arts organizations with a home for performances and displays while avoiding the needless duplication of facilities
- dramatically increase regional access to the arts
The Center will include the existing E.O. Bull theaters and 85,000 square feet of new space that is planned in two sections. The first is the three-story, lyrically shaped School of Music building comprising classrooms, state-of-the-art music laboratories, rehearsal rooms, faculty offices, practice rooms, and a recital hall, library, and art gallery. The other wing features a 375-seat proscenium theater, reception gallery, and support spaces. The new facilities will be located adjacent to the two theaters in the E.O. Bull Center thereby creating the region’s premier cultural arts venue with four stages, an art gallery and sculpture garden, and convenient parking.
The new School of Music building will be named in honor of Dr. Charles E. Swope, former President of the University. Other parts of the Center are available for naming by generous supporters of this project.
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Instructional Space
Rehearsal Halls
Three spacious rehearsal halls are located in the building. The instrumental and percussion rehearsal rooms are sited on the first floor adjacent to the main performance hall stage and large storage areas. The choral rehearsal hall is on the third floor and will accommodate up to 125 singers. Storage areas are nearby.
Music Laboratories
Increasingly, music instruction relies on technology to provide students with excellent opportunities to learn and practice skills. From music theory to keyboard classes, faculty and students use music laboratories to teach and study. The new building will include the Center for Music Technology, the Music Education Lab, and two keyboard labs. An audiovisual office will provide space for maintaining this instructional technology.
Classrooms
As enrollment grows, the increased number of classrooms in the building will be critical. In addition to two classrooms designated for music education, the building will contain eight general-purpose classrooms and a seminar room dedicated to choral/keyboard instruction.
Faculty Studios/Offices
Instruction in music requires that some faculty have ready access to instruments. Thus, the new building includes 36 faculty studios that can hold office furnishings plus a piano or similar instrument. In addition, an organ studio and a percussion studio will be located on the first floor. Fifteen traditional offices will be available for faculty not requiring the studio arrangement. A faculty lounge is situated on the second floor.
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Student Practice Rooms
Located primarily on the second and third floors, the 56 student practice rooms will greatly expand the space available for student rehearsals, Fifty-five of these rooms are designated for individual practice and one for ensembles. Practice areas also include lockers for storing student instruments and other belongings. One organ practice and six percussion practice rooms will be located on the first floor near the percussion rehearsal room, and a piano repair shop will be near the practice suite.
Library
With 3,000 square feet, the new music library greatly expands the amount of space available to maintain the School of Music’s extensive collection of sheet music, recordings, and texts. Situated on the building’s first floor overlooking the sculpture garden, the library will feature condensed shelving that increases the efficiency and volume of material storage. In addition to space for the collection, the library will provide areas for student study and secure space for especially valued holdings.
Administrative Suite
Office space for the Dean and other administrative functions of the School of Music will be located on the first floor of the building. In addition to office space, the suite will include a reception area and conference room.
Lobbies and Auxiliary Space
Not surprisingly, corridors, stairways, and lobbies are critical to the successful operation of this facility. As a result, transition spaces are designed to accommodate the movement of large instruments as well as the growing number of students and faculty who will use the facility. The building will also include a student lounge, restrooms, general lounge, and mechanical space.
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Performance and Display Space
Main Performance Hall
More than any other space in this facility, the main performance hall will enhance the University’s capacity to expand both campus and community cultural offerings. The 375-seat hall will feature a 2,200 square foot proscenium stage that will accommodate the traditional array of musical performances (symphony orchestra, large choral groups, bands, etc.) as well as theatre, opera, and dance productions. The hall will be the region’s premier mid-size performance space with a stage and wings capable of accommodating nearly every type of performance event. The hall will also include technical control rooms for recording, sound, and lighting.
Recital Hall
The 120-seat recital hall will be the primary site for the more than 200 student and faculty recitals that take place each year. In addition, the hall will be equipped to handle lectures and practices as well as community and professional groups that require smaller venues. From string quartets and solo performances to poetry readings and visiting lecturers, the recital hall will be among the most versatile spaces in the building.
Art Gallery
Integral to this building’s multidisciplinary mission is the art gallery. Located in the first floor and directly across the courtyard from the main performance hall, the gallery provides 70 square feet of space for display. Shows will include rotating exhibitions from the University’s collection as well as the work of regional artists. The gallery will also host receptions and similar events.
Reception Gallery
The main entrance and reception gallery of the performance hall will be a majestic space with large expanses of glass that take full advantage of natural light. This promenade, which will be capable of accommodating large crowds for events and receptions, will face both the building’s main entrance and the courtyard, and will run the length of the performance hall’s west wall. It will also provide a connection to the recital hall, art gallery, and the Swope Music Building.
Auxiliary Space
Surrounding the main performance hall will be an array of support spaces including a box office, dressing rooms, loading dock, and storage areas.
Courtyard
The Swope Music Building and the main performance hall are designed around a large central courtyard. In addition to serving as the primary entry point for these facilities, the courtyard will provide excellent space for outdoor performances, receptions, and quiet relaxation.
Sculpture Garden
To the north and east of the new facilities will be a sculpture garden that is designed to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of this project and help unite it with the existing performance spaces in the neighboring E.O. Bull Center. Featuring works donated by various patrons and artists, the sculpture garden will be a critical part of the Center's exterior appearance.
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