School of Fine and Performing Arts

After a three stage proposal competition, Brock University commissioned Diamond Schmitt Architects to design the new 95,500 square foot 198 St. Paul Street Facility, which will house the school’s Departments of Music, Visual Arts, Dramatic Arts, and the Centre for Studies in Art and Culture.

Brock will relocate its school to the 19th century Canada Hair Cloth Company building, moving 500 students and faculty along with its entire theatre program from its main campus at the city’s south end. This retrofitted historic textile factory, adjacent to the city’s new Performing Arts Centre, forms a $94M arts complex contributing to the cultural and economic revival of downtown St. Catharines.

The existing building will be completely renovated to suit its new purpose with classrooms, teaching studios, staff offices, and related support space. In addition, a 280 seat flexible studio theatre will be constructed. The facility is being designed with community engagement in mind as the school seeks to make the arts more accessible and intends to serve the city by creating new civic gathering spaces for the community.