Rock Valley College has enjoyed a strong arts program for decades, but the facilities for various disciplines were scattered and technologically out-of-date. The College identified a need for a new facility that would consolidate these programs, advance artistic education, and support the production of performing arts events. The design of the new Arts Instructional Center brings together the theatre, dance, music, and visual arts departments. A large portion of the new space is allotted to performance facilities, an 800-seat concert hall and a 350-seat stage theatre. The theatres are surrounded with all necessary support functions including a scene shop, dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, and costume lab. The music department shares these performance spaces, and gains its own new spaces for music study and instruction. In addition, visual art students gain cohesive new spaces with studios for drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, 2D design, computer graphics, and photography.
This new collection of spaces unifies the already strong arts program at Rock Valley College. The proximity of the departments promotes enriching interdisciplinary study. Lastly, the new hall and theatre spaces are venues for productions from the greater Rockford community, enhancing exposure to Rock Valley College’s arts programs.
Arts Instructional Center
Type: Academic
Location: Rockford, IL
Year: 2011
Size: 120,000 sf
Description
Arts Instructional Center
Rock Valley College has enjoyed a strong arts program for decades, but the facilities for various disciplines were scattered and technologically out-of-date. The College identified a need for a new facility that would consolidate these programs, advance artistic education, and support the production of performing arts events. The design of the new Arts Instructional Center brings together the theatre, dance, music, and visual arts departments. A large portion of the new space is allotted to performance facilities, an 800-seat concert hall and a 350-seat stage theatre. The theatres are surrounded with all necessary support functions including a scene shop, dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, and costume lab. The music department shares these performance spaces, and gains its own new spaces for music study and instruction. In addition, visual art students gain cohesive new spaces with studios for drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, 2D design, computer graphics, and photography.
This new collection of spaces unifies the already strong arts program at Rock Valley College. The proximity of the departments promotes enriching interdisciplinary study. Lastly, the new hall and theatre spaces are venues for productions from the greater Rockford community, enhancing exposure to Rock Valley College’s arts programs.