宾夕法尼亚大学学生表演艺术中心丨美国费城丨Steven Holl Architects

Student Performing Arts Center, University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA, US

Framing a vibrant gateway to the University of Pennsylvania’s historic campus, the new Center will provide a nexus of flexible performance and rehearsal spaces and create an inviting hub for the student performing arts communities.

The Student Performing Arts Center will house a 300-seat proscenium theater with full fly tower and orchestra pit, a 125-seat studio theater with flexible performance and rehearsal capabilities, five rehearsal studios, as well as performance support spaces and a loading dock. The building will target LEED silver certification and serve as an exemplar of sustainable performing arts design.

The design is characterized by three suspended trapezoids floating above the ground, echoing the dynamic movements of dancers and performers. An interplay of transparent and translucent glass allows for selective views to permeate from the inside out and produces a glowing presence at night. The Center’s red terracotta facade forms a material connection in harmony with several buildings across campus, including the iconic Frank Furness designed Fisher Fine Arts Library

Sited along Woodland Walk and Jenny Holzer’s 125 Years text-based sculpture celebrating the history of women at Penn, the new Center will activate the northeast corner of Penn’s campus, enhancing an inviting gateway while maximizing visibility and accessibility of creative life on campus. The dedicated and flexible student performance and rehearsal venues will support a robust diverse and expanding arts community at the University.

The proposal for the Center grew out of recommendations identified through a study completed in 2019 by Penn’s University Life, which concluded that additional performance and rehearsal space was needed to meet current and future demand. With more than 70 student performing arts groups, the new Center will serve as a dynamic and flexible space for student groups for dance, theater, singing, comedy, and other artforms.

The Student Performing Arts Center is expected to begin construction in fall of 2024 with anticipated occupancy in winter 2027.

Client University of Pennsylvania

Location Philadelphia, PA, US

Years 2023–2026

Size 37,300 sq ft

Status In design

architect Steven Holl Architects

Steven Holl (design architect, principal)

Noah Yaffe (partner in charge)

Jongseo Lee (associate in charge)

Wenying Sun (project architect)

Ruoyu Wei, Michael Haddy, Talya Polat, Zhenya Li, Lirong Tan, Maxwell Funk, Dimitra Tsachrelia, Yasmina Parto, Yuanchu Yi (project team)

structural engineer Silman

MEP engineer dbHMS

civil engineer Hunt Engineering Company

landscape architect Hollander Design

theater consultant Theatre Consultants Collaborative

acoustics/AV/IT Cerami & Associates

lighting design L’Observatoire International

climate engineer Transsolar

code/accessibility consultant Jensen Hughes

cost estimator Dharam Consulting

vertical transportation consultant VDA

curtainwall Maffeis

construction manager TN Ward Company

Timeline

Penn receives naming gift for new Student Performing Arts Center November 6, 2025

University of Pennsylvania Student Performing Arts Center Tops Out October 20, 2025

Penn Receives $5M Gift for SPAC Theatre September 29, 2025

“Color, Light, and Time” Lecture Recording Now Available November 22, 2024

Steven Holl to deliver new lecture “Color, Light, and Time” at UPenn – November 6, 2024 October 30, 2024

Construction underway at UPenn Student Performing Arts Center October 24, 2024

University of Pennsylvania Student Performing Arts Center featured in GA International July 1, 2024

BROOKLYN RAIL PROFILE ON STEVEN HOLL October 4, 2023

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SELECTS STEVEN HOLL ARCHITECTS FOR NEW STUDENT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER June 16, 2023