Constructed: 1975 and 1999

Architects: Kevin Roche, John Dinkeloo and Associates, Hampden, Conn. 1999 lobby addition: Perry Dean Rogers and Partners, Boston, Mass.

This uncompromisingly modernist, poured concrete building consists of several distinctly different units that were intended to combine to form a powerful architectural sculpture. The Fine Arts Center was conceived as a gateway to the campus at the south end of the pond, but its arcade also acts as a link between student housing on the east side of campus and the academic buildings on the west. The lobby, constructed in 1999, respects the concept of a gateway to the campus by providing transparency through the extensive use of glass.

The Fine Arts Center remains the most visible structure at the entrance to the campus. On its lower floors, the building contains a major concert hall, a theater, recital hall, and a small experimental theater, while the large bridge above contains art studios. The building accommodates the Arts, Music, Dance and Theater Departments, as well as the University Gallery.

• From Three Architectural Tours: Selected Buildings on the Campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst (Amherst, 2000)
• For additional information, consult the University Archives (RG 36/101).