Ryan Center Arts Circle & Green

Project Status: COMPLETED

Construction start: Summer 2012
Completion: 2016

Project Description & Statistics

Set on 6.5 acres along the edge of Lake Michigan, the New Arts Green is changing the way the school connects to the Evanston community. Serving as a connecting force, the Arts Green brings together each of Northwestern's music-oriented buildings--the new state-of-the-art Ryan Center, Regenstein Hall of Music, and Pick-Staiger Concert Hall--into a  cluster -like community. Designed to be a modern campus quad, the Arts Green provides a center for the South campus and is pursuing LEED certification.

In terms of broader impact, the new plan for Northwestern's music community is beneficial to the way in which the university connects to greater Evanston. In particular, a public lakefront path has been redeveloped and extended, allowing pedestrian and bicycle access in and around the building, and improved asses to the lakefront. The Arts Green also opens dramatic views to the Chicago skyline and displays sculptures from the Block Museum's permanent collection.

Project Team

Project Management

Bonnie Humphrey, Director Facilities Design & Construction
Deborah A. Burkhart, Project Manager

Architect, Engineers & Consultants


Architect: Goettsch Partners
General Contractor: Power Construction Company
Landscape Contractor: Wingren Landscape

Contact Information

All questions should be directed to:

Deborah A. Burkhart
Northwestern University
Facilities Design & Construction
2020 Ridge Avenue, Suite 200
Evanston, IL 60208
Phone: 847-467-5093
deborah.burkhart@northwestern.edu