Pittsburg State University Opens Bicknell Family Center for the Arts

When the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts at Pittsburg State University opened its doors on December 7, those in attendance may have been surprised to know--after looking over the glass edifice, setting foot in the wood-trimmed auditorium, and exploring its numerous versatile facilities--that the entire building only cost $33 million.

Cost-effective planning and design by Theatre Projects went a long way in creating the first performing arts facility on the Pittsburg State University campus since 1978, the company says. The building is a collaboration between Theatre Projects, ACI/Boland (executive architect), and William Rawn Associates (design architect).

At the heart of the 96,000 sq. ft. center is the Linda & Lee Scott Performance Hall, a 1,100-seat, multi-purpose theatre that can accommodate symphony, opera, drama, dance, amplified music and more, providing the university with countless opportunities for both student performances and outside touring groups.

With a flexible mainstage theatre, adjustable acoustics, and a sizable seating capacity, the university can anticipate a myriad of rotating events throughout the year, the company says, enhancing the school's cultural influence and drawing revenue from outside patrons.

Down the hall from the Linda & Lee Scott Performance Hall sits the Bicknell's courtyard theatre, a flexible and 250-seat space, which will serve as the mainstage for the university's drama department. With a comfortable setting, the young actors-in-training are provided the environment to gradually find their voice, learn their range, and step out onto a modest stage rather than into a cavernous auditorium. The courtyard theatre features an adjustable stage, which can be arranged in endstage or thrust configurations.

In an effort to keep costs down, the facility was built in large part with pre-cast concrete panels, affording the construction team the luxury of not pouring concrete on site. The method was used in two previous Theatre Projects buildings: the Shaw Center for the Arts in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the Acadiana Center for the Arts in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Other facilities include a scene shop, costume shop, dressing rooms, and technical rooms; a 3,000 sq. ft. multi-purpose rehearsal room doubles as a warm-up room for waiting performers. Additionally, the center features an art gallery, donor display room, donor lounge for private receptions, and a workshop for artists-in-residence. Future plans call for a garden courtyard and reception area to the south of the building.