Committed to providing students with access to stages that rival some of the world’s finest, Belmont University opened a new state-of-the-art performing arts center on Belmont Boulevard. Along with the Massey Performing Arts Center, Troutt Theater and McAfee Concert Hall, the addition of this venue completes the campus’s performance facilities, creating the most extensive suite of venues of any other institution of higher education. This new 133,796 SF facility enables Belmont to host and perform from their home campus for all future events. The Center houses a 1,700-seat multipurpose theater, a grand lobby, and two event spaces that can hold more than 900 guests when combined with the lobby.

Given the nature of the building’s function, the project had very stringent acoustical and aesthetic requirements that were achieved within a strict budget. The project was designed for both acoustical and amplified sound, and includes a thermal ice storage system to offset the peak cooling energy loads from high-demand periods. The project also had specific energy efficiency and operations requirements for which SSR’s sustainability and commissioning teams worked closely with the design and construction team to provide LEED® consulting, energy modeling, building life-cycle assessment and commissioning services.