Simon Schaffer
Schaffer: The new building will be part of "an incredible range of cultural activities ... all within walking distance."
A new home for music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has taken a giant step forward with the selection of an architectural firm.
The UW School of Music's new building at the corner of University Avenue and Lake Street will be designed by Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture of New York City.
More than half the $43 million needed for the project has so far been raised. The 57,000-square-foot building will be paid for entirely by private funds.
The new school will feature two concert halls with capacities of 350 and 800 people each. The venues will be designed to complement existing spaces at Overture Center for the Arts.
Overture's architect, Cesar Pelli, was consulted in very early design stages. Ironically, Malcolm Holzman, one of the principals of Holzman Moss Bottino, was also a principal with Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, which designed Overture's predecessor, the Madison Civic Center.
Holzman Moss Bottino's previous work includes the American Ballet Theater in New York City; the Brooklyn Academy of Music; the Georgetown University Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C.; and the University of Southern California Music School and concert hall. The announcement was made Monday, Nov. 22. The School of Music's director, John Schaffer, is traveling and could not be reached. In a prepared statement he noted the facility's proximity to Overture and other cultural institutions.
"When this building is completed, the city of Madison, the entire Dane County area, will be able to enjoy an incredible range of cultural activities -- some experimental, some traditional -- all within walking distance," he said.
Madison-based Strang Inc. will assist in design and construction of the new music school. Its past projects include renovation of the Mineral Point Opera House and a new indoor theater for American Players Theatre in Spring Green.
Representatives from the Division of State Facilities, UW-Madison Office of Facilities Planning and Management, UW System, the School of Music and the UW Foundation viewed presentations made by four finalists. The winning team selection was made by a special committee.
The UW-Madison School of Music is currently housed in the Mosse Humanities Building, 455 N. Park St. The building, which is shared with the departments of history and art, is slated for eventual demolition.
