Austin’s first indoor shopping mall becomes Austin Community College’s new digital media center
By David Malone, Associate Editor
The first indoor shopping mall in Austin, Texas is currently undergoing a major renovation to become Austin Community College’s new digital media center.
The redesigned building will contain space for art, music, dance drama, radio-television-film, photography, visual communication, computer programming, and gaming technology.
The creative digital media center will occupy about 125,000 sf. Additionally, a culinary arts and hospitality center will occupy another 19,600 sf and continuing education classrooms will occupy 12,400 sf. The renovated building will also contain space for a regional health sciences/STEM simulation lab (14,000 sf), business incubator space, convocation and performance space, a black box theater, a conference center, and a regional workforce innovation center.
Rendering courtesy of Perkins+Will.
The building’s exterior is being designed by Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects and builds on the character created by the firm during the first phase of the project. It will include a pathway that can be used for socializing, studying, and dining. Perkins+Will will design the interior space, which will include plentiful natural light in classroom spaces and simplified wayfinding.
The new building has a projected opening enrollment capacity of 5,000 students.