Belmont Abbey College Selects Architect for New Performing Arts Center

Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C., recently announced the selection of Little Diversified Architectural Consulting (Little) to serve as the project architect for its new Visual and Performing Arts Center, according to a news release. The 1,000-seat theater will serve the college and local community as a home for theater, visual arts, performing arts, art exhibitions, and other cultural and educational events.

“We look forward to partnering with Belmont Abbey College and the surrounding region to bring their vision to reality,” said Tom Balke, AIA, Little’s Community Studio Principal. “Creating a performance and cultural space that provides unique experiences while reflecting this community’s aspirations is an important driver of the design outcomes.”

The project also involves renovating the Haid Theatre on the Bellmont Abbey College campus. Community feedback determined that the 200-seat theater can’t meet the college’s current needs, but that it is of enough historical importance to preserve alongside the new space, the news release reports.

"Belmont Abbey is to be commended for putting together an advisory group to provide input into planning for this project,” said Reeves McGlohon, member of the advisory committee and retired superintendent of Gaston County Schools. “They have supported the advisory group and have listened to what we have had to say. There is no doubt in my mind that the work of the advisory group in conjunction with the Abbey will lead to a final product that will meet the needs of the college and the community at large.”

The North Carolina General Assembly approved $9 million in funding for the project in October 2023.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • University of Kansas Opens $400M Football Stadium Reconstruction

    The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., recently announced that the $400-million reconstruction of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is complete in time for the 2025 football season, according to a news release. The university partnered with Turner Construction Company on the project.

  • Pudu Robotics Launches AI-Powered, Large-Scale Floor Sweeper

    Pudu Robotics recently launched the newest member of its MT1 series of robotic floor sweepers, the PUDU MT1 Max, according to a news release. The AI-powered, 3D perception robotic sweeper was designed for use in large, complex cleaning environments both indoors and semi-outdoors, like parking garages and semi-open building atriums.

  • Three U.S. Universities Install Acre Security Access Control Platform

    Cloud-native physical and digital security solutions company Acre Security recently announced that it has deployed its access control platform at three major universities in the U.S., according to a news release. Acre partnered with Atrium Campus to provide coverage for more than 69,000 students at the University of Virginia (UVA), George Mason University, and Rockhurst University.

  • Image credit: O

    Strategic Campus Assessment: Moving Beyond Reactive Maintenance in Educational Facilities

    While campuses may appear stable on the surface, building systems naturally evolve over time, and proactive assessment can identify developing issues before they become expensive emergencies. The question isn't whether aging educational facilities need attention. It's how institutions can transition from costly reactive maintenance to strategic asset management in a way that protects both budgets and communities.

Digital Edition