Elevating musical excellence
Phase II of the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum project involves the creation of a new music building for the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology. This building will place music and performance at the heart of what will be the new cultural district at UT Dallas: the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum.
The Design
The desire for state-of-the-art learning, performance, and practice spaces for a variety of music types and ensembles has driven the design from the inside out, shaping the building’s program, form, and materials.
Facing the plaza, the building’s north-south oriented bar on the second level will house two large rehearsal rooms, single rehearsal rooms, a percussion studio, teaching classrooms, a recording studio, a student study lounge, and a variety of spaces for learning, studying, and impromptu musical performances.
Public Spaces
The public spaces are designed for a variety of learning and study environments, accommodating areas for quiet and focused work, as well as areas for connections and gatherings.
Performance Hall
The hallmark of the new building is a 680-seat music performance hall with a vineyard-style configuration to accommodate diverse live music. This spatial arrangement locates seats on all sides of the stage, providing closer connections between musicians and audience members.
The Vision
The overarching vision of the Athenaeum is to interpret the classical athenaeum—a space where art, science, and ideas could meet in lively dialogue—into a new model for breaking down disciplinary boundaries, engaging the broader community, and elevating the arts at The University of Texas at Dallas. With a performance hall and multiple museums located around a linear arts plaza, the Athenaeum establishes an epicenter for arts, performance, and learning at the southern gateway to the UTD campus.
In its design and purpose, the building represents the vision behind the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum as well as the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology—to create a place that fluidly connects art, science, creativity, and innovation, and invites engagement and dialogue from all directions and from broad audiences.