University of North Texas University Union
If you snapped before and after pictures, you’d be hard pressed to recognize UNT’s student center building in today’s photo.
Where a windowless, dark shell of a building once stood, a transformed building now serves as a center stage for thousands of musically gifted students. It’s their place to be and be seen, to grab a bite, and to compete for band bragging rights. Oh yeah—and to study, too.
Its sense of purpose is also crystal clear now. As one visitor who walked through the structure said at the end of her tour, “I know exactly what this university is about.” It’s a good thing since the stakes for universities have never been higher. Now high school students on college tours see state-of-the-art facilities that also serve as a place to rock.
Students once complained of a dark and disorienting building. But now, the Union is open, airy, and simple to get around.
Student activity just naturally flows here thanks to the clear entrances and open, multi-story atrium. Inside, students count on extensive “lines of sight” thanks to its open walkways, natural daylight, and the increased porosity of an entirely new exterior skin.
Zane Reif, Senior Director, University Union
A large multipurpose ballroom with capacity for 600 banquet seats. A 500-seat performance and lecture auditorium. A late-night music performance, food service lounge, and pub: These are the new and improved spaces that anchor the new design, but more importantly, the future of a student body. A student body that pours life into every corner of every space with an infectious enthusiasm for making music 24/7.
