January 28, 2014: Celebrating the New Northrop, Opening in April

Dear Colleagues and Students,

This spring, the University of Minnesota will celebrate the grand reopening of Northrop Auditorium after a three-year project of renovation and renewal.

This is great cause for celebration. For nearly a century, Northrop has been an iconic building of the University and one of the most recognized structures in the state. As a signature building, gathering place, and venue for renowned artists and speakers, Northrop has played a major role in the life of the Twin Cities campus and the entire region, opening new worlds to students and bringing generations of diverse audiences to our campus.

In renewing Northrop, the University has not only restored a treasured landmark. It has also reinvigorated Northrop as a multifaceted, state-of-the-art cultural center fully integrated with the academic life of our campus.

When it opens in April, Northrop will continue its long tradition of hosting internationally renowned artists in music, dance, and theater—but its spaces will have vastly improved technology, acoustics, and sightlines. It will again be a central campus and community gathering place—the “hearth of the University”—for major events, including convocations, commencements, and lectures by distinguished speakers.

Northrop also will be a vibrant everyday gathering place and educational hub for faculty, staff, and students. The new Northrop will include modern seminar and meeting spaces, multimedia facilities, a café, and student lounge and study space.

The new Northrop increases significantly the collaborative and study space on the East Bank, and it will also be home to three key academic programs: the University Honors Program, the Institute for Advanced Study, and the Innovation Lab of the College of Design. These University-wide programs will be springboards for a variety of interdisciplinary academic collaborations, for campus-community engagement and enhanced teaching and learning.

Our renewed Northrop reflects all that we offer our students and the state as Minnesota’s land-grant research university-- a great university in the heart of a dynamic metropolitan area. Northrop’s expanded role at the center of campus academic life will enrich the student experience, promote engagement beyond the classroom, develop new audiences to foster continued vitality in arts and culture, and create opportunities for cross-disciplinary dialogue about important issues and ideas.

You will be hearing much more about Northrop in the weeks ahead as we move toward the April 4–6 grand reopening celebration, a signal occasion for the entire University. I hope you will participate in the many events that have been planned. Details will be coming soon in a message from Northrop director Christine Tschida, and additional information also may be found at northrop.umn.edu/event/grand-reopening.

I look forward to the grand reopening with tremendous excitement and hope you will be able to join the festivities for what promises to be a memorable series of events.

Sincerely,

Karen Hanson
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost