University of Wisconsin-Madison students will see even more drastic changes on campus in upcoming years as plans for a new music school are already being presented to Madison’s Urban Design Commission.
Gary Brown, director of Campus Planning and Landscape Architecture, and Douglas Moss of Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture presented the plans at the city commission’s meeting Wednesday. It is designed to be executed in three phases with an ultimate goal of replacing the Humanities building currently on campus.
Phase 1 for the project consists of an over 300-seat recital hall and 3,100 square foot rehearsal space to be constructed at the intersection of University Avenue and Lake Street. The building will feature a wrap-around glass lobby facing University Avenue that provides an aesthetically pleasing exterior without interfering with the hall’s acoustic exterior.
Moss said the recital hall walls will be two-and-a-half feet thick with a layer of concrete on the outside, a section of airspace, and another layer of concrete lining the inside of the building to create an ideal enclosure for a music hall.
“It’s a very important room,” Moss said, explaining the need for “acoustical excellence.” “Therefore we have very massive thick walls that are primarily windowless at this prominent corner … We’re very concerned about not only noise vibrations, but lots of traffic and lots of noise that takes place along University. We need to make sure none of that comes inside.”
Another feature of the Phase 1 building offers a large glass wall built on the corner of the recital hall closest to the Chazen Art Museum, facing University Avenue.
“This is a room that will be used many long days and nights and weekends,” Moss said. “You’ll be able to see any kind of activity that’s taking on inside of the building.”
The idea behind this design feature was to open musical experiences to the community and general public.
Phase 2 will include plans for an almost 800-seat concert hall and Phase 3 will contain academic support spaces such as classrooms, practice rooms and faculty offices. Designs for these phases are scheduled to be completed October 2015 and construction may not begin until November 2017.
