HDR designed the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts for the University of Nebraska, Lincoln located in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts is an innovative new program at the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Its vision is to become “the premier destination in the world for creative, young pioneers who use technology to innovate, to solve human-scale problems, to entertain audiences, and to tell breathtaking stories that stimulate, provoke and inspire.”

HDR worked closely with the school to help envision how the program’s arts-centered curriculum design could be supported through adaptive reuse of an existing building on campus. As the curriculum design and building design were developed in tandem, we worked with the university to develop an integrated design solution that fosters collaboration and creative exploration, creating an energy that attracts the next leaders in emerging media arts.

Informed by visits to a number of other colleges and corporate offices, including Stanford’s d.school, Pixar Inc., YouTube Spaces, Technicolor Experience Center, and California College of the Arts, our design team worked alongside the departments within the Hixon-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts and the facilities team to design a space where students feel comfortable exploring, creating, adapting, and experimenting with new ideas.

Architect: HDR
Photography: Dan Schwalm