Rubenstein Arts Center

Known as “the Ruby,” Duke University’s new Rubenstein Arts Center inspires creativity and supports cross-disciplinary programs. A paneled glass façade fosters a celebration of “art in action,” animating the campus with views of dance rehearsals and visual arts activities. The two-story, 71,000-square-foot complex features a variety of spaces to support the university’s performing and fine arts programs.

The center houses 14 flexible studio modules arranged around a central gathering space and an outdoor working yard. Each module supports different disciplines working together, allowing activities and functions within each module to fluctuate annually, sometimes daily. The focus on convergent studios instead of specialized venues differentiates the center from its peer buildings.

Supporting the Dance Department, the building features a 200-seat black box theater and dance rehearsal spaces. In addition, Duke’s Arts of the Moving Image program is served by a 100-seat film theater and screening room with digital cinema, 35mm and 16mm projection systems as well as lab and studio spaces with video and motion capture, playback, production, and editing capabilities. The Slippage Studio hosts an immersive, multimedia and dance performance program that uses video processing, motion capture, and other technology to explore the intersections of African American studies, Gender and Feminist studies, and Theater in a broad interdisciplinary institute. Other spaces include painting and drawing studios, classrooms, a radio station, and lounge areas.

Mueller’s MEP systems support the building’s flexibility, with spaces ranging from the glass-enclosed dance cube with radiant heat to visual arts studios that require special ventilation. The “Ruby Lounge,” a multipurpose performance space, uses pipe grids installed at the ceiling level to allow for flexible lighting systems. The HVAC system is designed to accommodate the higher loads associated with major productions. Acoustical challenges were also addressed with carefully specified duct sizes that accommodate acoustical treatments and silencers that attenuate sound throughout the duct system.