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TCU School of Music + Arts Precinct

Fort Worth, TX

TCU School of Music + Arts Precinct

Fort Worth, TX

The Bora team has been an absolute delight to work with. Not only are they enormously talented, but they listen carefully, provide multiple design options, and work to create the best possible facility given the budget available. I have worked with many architectural firms and professionals over the years; Bora is unquestionably the best.

Richard Gipson, Director, School of Music

The new Music Center for the Texas Christian University School of Music fulfills a twenty-year vision for TCU, anchoring a new Arts Precinct by coalescing scattered music facilities into a single, iconic campus destination.

Our design activates the site–once a quiet corner of parking lots at the campus edge–by establishing a defined precinct and gateway for visitors. The Music Center’s north-facing, glass-enclosed lobby opens onto an expansive covered porch. This “Creative Commons,” a new signature outdoor gathering space, connects to the existing Moudy Center for the Fine Arts.

The building palette complements TCU’s signature buff brick and limestone accents, while distinguishing the building through its form. We drew the central 717-seat Van Cliburn Concert Hall up through the heart of the structure, where it soars to a height of 60 feet. A richly textured and illuminated cast-stone crown rings the top, celebrating the artistry of the building’s occupants. Within the wood-lined concert hall, audience seating surrounds all sides of the stage to create a uniquely intimate connection between performers and patrons. Large rehearsal halls for ensemble programs, as well as a percussion instruction suite, faculty teaching studios, and practice rooms, orbit the performance venue.

By enabling the School of Music to serve its growing program while creating a dynamic presence for the arts, this project creates a regional performance space that will redefine TCU’s contributions to the larger artistic community. Our design balances exacting acoustic needs with transparency and visibility, amplifying the expression within and showcasing TCU’s commitment to excellence in music education.

Size

62,000 sf

Recognitions

IIDA Oregon Design Excellence Awards, 2022, Best in Performing Arts

IIDA Oregon Design Excellence Awards, 2022, Jurors Choice

Collaborators

Office of James Burnett

The Shalleck Collaborative

Walter P. Moore & Associates

Collaborative Engineering Group, LLC

HLB Lighting Design