University of Minnesota, Morris - Edson Auditorium

Edson Auditorium was an existing auditorium located in the heart of the University of Minnesota, Morris campus. While preserving the grace of the original 500-person occupancy auditorium, the 1950's auditorium has been transformed into a modern production space. As well as designing the auditorium, ARI was also tasked with creating a destination space in the lobby rather than a simple walk-through area.

ARI worked within the original footprint of the building yet provided more space in the lobby for students and events. Using creative thinking and out-of-the-box design, we proposed infilling the lobby with a glass floor system, providing necessary square footage while still providing natural light and connectivity to the student lounge below. Code planning and accessibility proved to be another challenge. To meet the budgetary requirements of the project, we worked with seating vendors to find a solution for providing accessible seating and railings. Technology, mechanical and electrical systems were integrated through the use of our creative in-house team to provide a well-coordinated set of plans and documents; this provided a new control booth for access to lighting, sound, technology and a live feed of the auditorium to the newly renovated lobby space.

The scope of work included an auditorium renovation, upgrades to the auditorium corridor and lobby, new seating, interior finishes and lighting, new signage, upgrades to the safety of the existing stairwells and HVAC updates.