University of North Texas, Lucille "Lupe" Murchison Performing Arts Center
Denton, Texas

Date: 1999 Size: 72,500 s.f.
The building's provocative shape and spirit reflect the diminutive creature - the Murchison Center despite being a modest structure, has the Texas bigness of spirit much like its muse. Inside the armadillo's hard faceted exterior is a delicate, almost fragile body. The Winspear Auditorium interior has this same delicacy and balance of introversion and extroversion. The concert hall boasts incredibly dynamic, acclaimed acoustics necessary for a school renowned for its music programs. The excellent acoustics were achieved by blocking the ever-present sounds of the adjacent interstate. Yet, the technical challenges of noise reduction and infiltration did not prevent the design from having a luminescent glass backed stage that lets natural light filter in without sacrificing the qualities of the music created inside.