The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) Moss Arts Center is a cornerstone of the university’s arts initiative to elevate the presence and practice of the arts both at the school and in the surrounding community. Strategically located at a key campus gateway, the 150,000-square-foot complex blurs the threshold between the campus and downtown Blacksburg, inviting both students and local residents to engage with the arts while providing state-of-the-art resources for experimentation and innovatation.
STV served as executive architect and engineer for this ambitious project in collaboration with design architect Snøhetta. The program boasts a 1,260-seat performance hall, art galleries, studios, an amphitheater, a café, teaching and research spaces and the Cube – a four-story, multidisciplinary experimental performance lab.
STV’s team provided technical expertise to resolve the facility’s complex design, acoustic, life safety, accessibility and building systems challenges. The architectural design reinterprets Virginia Tech’s signature Hokie Stone exteriors, blending tradition with contemporary expression. A welcoming glass-and-stone entrance lobby unites the building’s diverse venues and programs, including the reinvention of an outdated student commons. The new multi-level performance hall, with its six-story fly loft, accommodates a full range of theatrical and musical performances and has hosted internationally renowned artists.
Following its completion, the Moss Arts Center project received awards from Engineering News-Record and Building Design+Construction magazines.
1,260-seat
performance hall
44,800-sf
renovation
105,200-sf
new construction
