Hasta La Ideas

While New Yorkers are still angry at Pelli Clarke Pelli for their plans for the Empire State Building-blocking 15 Penn Plaza tower in that city, they have far more fans at the moment out here in the midwest. Two years after the flood that swept through the University of Iowa campus, damaging many of its river-adjacent art buildings, it’s just been announced that the firm has landed a project to design a replacement Hancher Auditorium. The original performance art building was severely damaged during the flooding and apparently not suffering the same rebuilding FEMA hurdles that Steven Holl‘s Art Building West has. Here are the early details of Pelli’s new Hancher, which it landed over 59 other firms who were also vying:

The new building will overlook the Iowa River from atop a hill on the main route into Iowa City. Just north of the original 1972 Max Abramovitz building, the site is adjacent to the Levitt Center, a campus landmark. The design will draw from the site’s natural surroundings and sustainability will be a priority.

The new 144,770-gross-square-foot building will include a proscenium theater and spaces for rehearsals and teaching. Construction of the building, which will be partially funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is expected to begin in spring 2012.

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