Newswise — BOWLING GREEN, O.—In a landscape of brick, the new Wolfe Center for the Arts at Bowling Green State University draws the eye with its clean lines, steely hue and abundance of concrete and metal. After more than two years of construction, the collaborative arts space is ready to welcome students, faculty, staff and the community.
Designed by the international architectural firm SNØHETTA, with offices in Oslo, Norway, and New York City, the Wolfe Center features welcoming public areas as well as functional work areas with plenty of natural light. The center will be the first project SNØHETTA will complete in the United States, before its 9/11 museum in New York City opens in 2012.
SNØHETTA collaborated closely with the international theatre design and planning firm Theatre Projects, with offices in Connecticut, London, Los Angeles, and Shanghai, who provided programming, concept design, theatre planning and theatre equipment design and specification.
According Craig Dykers, a principal and founding member of SNØHETTA, the building is a response to the smooth planes of the northwest Ohio landscape, with its far horizons and big sky. At about 93,000 square feet, the building will be large enough for classes and rehearsals while providing performance, design and office space. It is also the new home of the Department of Theatre and Film. The new Wolfe Center for the Arts features a walk-through that connects the visual arts campus to the performing arts campus, creating a more unified arts environment that inspires creativity across the disciplines.
In addition to being a place for students and faculty to learn and work on theatrical, dance, musical, film and digital arts productions, the center will offer the community an exceptional venue in which to see a wide range of performances.
Dominating the lobby is a massive public art piece by Norwegian artist Anne Senstad. The work is called “The Eternal” and is actually a photograph of the horizon blown up over 1,000 times.
Generous leadership for the project was provided by Frederic and Mary Wolfe of Perrysburg. Another major gift, from Thomas and Kathleen Donnell of Findlay, supported the construction of the main theater, which bears their name.
The Collaborative, a Toledo-based firm, was the local partner on the project, and Ryan Miller of the campus design and construction office served as project manager.
To learn more about the award-winning architects, visit http://www.snohetta.com For more detail on the Wolfe Center, visit http://www.snohetta.com/#/projects/76/true/all/image/307.
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