Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

New Mexico State University

  • 01/01/15
New Mexico State University

PHOTOS © TOM KESSLER PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

Located at a prominent entry point to the New Mexico State University campus in Las Cruces, the Center for the Arts serves as a gateway for the community and stimulates a connection between the previously introverted university and the surrounding community. The first phase in a planned arts district, the 59,800-gross-square-feet Center is adjacent to the existing Music Building and offers the potential to establish a cultural environment where indoor and outdoor spaces are clustered together.

The main performance venue is a 450-seat proscenium theater configured in a horseshoe shape with two balconies that bring all audience members within 50 feet of the stage. To create an environment that feels intimate at any audience size, the room can be scaled by opening seating sections as needed, with 300 seats in the orchestra, 85 in the first balcony and 96 in the second.

The rehearsal room — a glass-enclosed space facing the university — is appropriate for dance, theater and music rehearsals. The flexible space is also capable of holding classes and receptions. Internal circulation through the “arroyo,” the main circulation pathway, inspired by a land formation typical to the New Mexico desert, allows for spontaneous interactions between students and teachers across multiple disciplines.

By applying energy-saving techniques; utilizing photovoltaic panels, 50 percent diversion of waste materials from landfill sites, daylight harvesting and the application of regional materials and recycled content, the Center for the Arts was successful in achieving LEED Gold certification.

Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture, New York, NY, was Architect-of-Record; also ASA Architects, Las Cruces, NM was Architect-of-Record. The facility was completed in February 2014.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • University of Kentucky Receives $150M Gift Toward New Arts District

    The University of Kentucky’s Board of Trustees recently received a $150-million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation, according to a university news release, to build a new arts district on the campus in Lexington, Ky. The new district will feature a new College of Fine Arts building and a multi-hundred-seat theater, among other amenities.

  • North Carolina District Completes New Elementary School

    The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in Holly Springs, N.C., recently announced that construction on a new elementary school has finished, according to a news release. Rex Road Elementary School measures in at 133,000 square feet and is the fifteenth school that general contractor Balfour Beatty has completed for the district.

  • NWEA Report Recommends K–12 Natural Disaster Recovery Strategies

    The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a K–12 assessment and research organization, recently announced the release of a new playbook for schools and communities recovering from extreme weather events, according to a news release.

  • UNT Dallas Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for $100M STEM Building

    The University of North Texas at Dallas in Dallas, Texas, recently celebrated the opening of its new, $100-million STEM Building, according to local news. The ceremony on Dec. 2 preceded the first day of classes in the facility on Jan. 12, 2026.