As home to one of the country’s finest collections of Colle-giate Georgian architecture, Southern Methodist University wanted a student services and visitor center that would stand out at the primary eastern campus entrance, while staying true to the school’s Collegiate Georgian tradition. OMNIPLAN designers did their homework in preparation for the project, sending members of their team to Massachusetts and Virginia to study the historic examples of this style there. Based on conversations with the client and OMNIPLAN’s in-depth research, the architects developed a stately design with a grand entrance, facing toward the school’s eastern portal, to serve campus visitors, and an additional westward entrance for convenient student access. To minimize exterior maintenance requirements, OMNIPLAN substituted durable modern materials for traditional wooden accents. And to conserve budget, designers chose to keep most interior spaces clean and simple, reserving finer finishes and details for the formal entrances and other public spaces.
The Blanton Building at SMU faces a new gateway to the campus from the most traveled entrance off of Interstate-75. The Blanton fulfills its role by being a clear, legible and strong presence to visitors as the campus' eastern gateway.
See a time-lapse of its construction here.
