Visual Arts Building and Art Building West - A Conversation with Steven Holl & Chris McVoy

The new Visual Arts Building for the University of Iowa’s School of Art and Art History provides 126,000 sf of loft- like space for all visual arts media, from ancient metalsmithing techniques to the most advanced virtual reality technologies. The building replaces an original arts building from 1936, which was heavily damaged during the 2008 flood of the University of Iowa campus. The new building forms an Arts Quad with Art Building West, which was also designed by Steven Holl Architects and has drawn students from all over campus to its social spaces and library since opening in 2006. Together they form a visual arts campus for theorizing, teaching and making art. Steven Holl and Senior Partner Chris McVoy tour and highlight the buildings’ process, history, concept, and realization.