University of Iowa | Voxman School of Music

The site of the Voxman School of Music lies at an important boundary between the campus and the Iowa City downtown core, intersecting the academic and urban experiences. The pattern of streets and open spaces in the surrounding mixed-use district extends directly into the building’s interior, creating a dense, vibrant creative environment.

A complex program of musical education spaces is arranged on six floors. Three main public gathering areas – a student commons, a performance and rehearsal lobby, and an atrium – are linked by porous, daylit circulation volumes. The 700-seat concert hall with 200-seat recital hall are the primary performance venues. The concert hall ceiling features a suspended theatroacoustic system, which utilizes digital fabrication and parametric modeling tools to unify acoustic and theatrical equipment. The intricate latticework provides strategic openings for speakers, stage lighting, house lighting, fire sprinklers and acoustic transparency.