OPN Architects
Cedar Rapids, IA
Professional
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Hancher Auditorium
Iowa City, IA
Designed in collaboration with Pelli Clarke Pelli, the $132-million performing arts center replaces the original iconic Hancher, which was flooded in 2008.
For more than 30 years, Hancher Auditorium has presented the finest in world culture to students and the public alike. The original buil… Read More
Designed with a highly efficient envelope and incorporating sustainable design strategies related to the site and to building systems and controls, the building is LEED silver certified. As a replacement for the original Hancher, damaged by flooding in 2008, the building is also designed to 500-year… Read More
The 189,000-square-foot building has a large multi-purpose proscenium theater with 1,800 seats, hosts music, dance, opera, and theatrical performances. In addition, the building contains spaces for rehearsals and teaching, offices, a scene shop, and a costume shop.
Floor-to-ceiling glass walls below the cantilevers offer views to the campus and the river, and can be seen from Hancher Bridge and points south. Lobby spaces and offices have shaded sunlight during the day.
Versatile, spacious areas are available throughout the building for guests to relax and enjoy the sunlight throughout the day even while indoors.
The rehearsal room, a cubic form, is clad in light-colored masonry. Together, the rehearsal room and the Levitt Center’s rotunda frame Park Road, becoming a gateway.
