Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

DePaul Unveils $72 Million Theater School Building

By Paul Biasco | September 5, 2013 7:08am
 The Theater School at DePaul University's brand new $69 million building was recently completed and is ready for the fall trimester.
The Theater School at DePaul University
View Full Caption

LINCOLN PARK — DePaul University's $72 million, state-of-the-art new home for its theater school is complete and ready for next week's first day of class.

The 165,000-square-foot building at the corner of Fullerton and Racine Avenues features two theaters: the 250-seat Fullerton Stage on the first floor, and the 100-seat Denis Healy Theatre on the fourth floor.

“It is a great privilege to have an artistic home of such high caliber that was designed and built specifically for the making of theater, and for fostering a sense of community,” said John Culbert, dean of The Theatre School at DePaul University.

Community members and students will be able to get a peek into the workshops for set designs while walking along Fullerton, as the entire north wall is transparent.

The prominent building was designed by the architectural firm of Pelli Clarke Pelli, which designed the World Financial Center in New York and the Petronas Towers in Malaysia.

The building was created to be an environmentally-sensitive LEED Silver certified structure. It includes a green roof among other eco-friendly construction elements, according to DePaul.

The five-story glass-and-limestone building's Denis Healy Theater on the fourth floor juts out over the sidewalk and has a translucent wall that will allow passers-by to see productions taking place.

The school is calling the new theater the western gateway to the DePaul Lincoln Park campus.

The grand opening is scheduled for Sept. 12.