MacPhail Center for Music

Minneapolis, MN

MacPhail Center for Music is one of the oldest cultural institutions in Minneapolis and among the most respected music organizations in the nation. Having outgrown their previous building, MacPhail relocated to the Minneapolis Mill District, amid renovated mill buildings and newer neo-mill architecture. The new MacPhail building stands out; clad in a dynamic massing of COR-TEN and galvanized steel panels, brick, and glass, yet is highly in tune with its context, referencing the scale, massing, and materiality of the historic mills while avoiding derivative comparisons.

The 56,000 square foot building houses a formal performance venue, 58 instruction studios, group classrooms, music therapy labs, practice rooms, and early childhood education classrooms. All spaces have superior acoustics, state-of-the-art technologies, and built-in flexibility to accommodate varied teaching and performance styles. The building also houses offices, a café, a performance courtyard, and large central lobby that doubles as an informal performance space.

Project Credits & Recognition

Photography by Andrea Rugg
General Contractor: Mortenson

2008 AIA Minneapolis Merit Award
International Illumination Design Award
MSP Magazine Best Classical Music Venue in the Twin Cities
Business Journal Best in Real Estate Award