College of Saint Benedict, Benedicta Arts Center Expansion
Saint Joseph, MinnesotaThe creation of the Benedicta Arts Center in 1964 brought a world-class level of cultural programming and education to Central Minnesota and was an essential step in the development of, what is today, one of the best arts education programs in the midwest.
The expansion of the Benedicta Arts Center (BAC) provides the rehearsal and performance venues needed to meet the demands of Fine Arts Programming and the burgeoning enrollment in Theater, Music and Dance. The BAC is the gateway building to the campus. As such it is a defining element, along with the Mall, of arrival. The design of the expansion strengthens the experience of arrival by giving more built definition to the Mall while bridging the stand alone BAC to the rest of campus. While the design of the original Center is revered, its opaque monastic walls hide activity and the identity of programs within. The expansion provides a more visible and compelling presence for the arts on campus.
- AIA Minnesota Awards Jury
related quote
The expansion has the same DNA as the original building, and yet it's different. We loved the sculptural finishes of the exterior, and the interiors are equally high quality.
Photography %A9 Albert Vecerka/Esto