Austin, Texas, USA
To realize the owner’s vision for this iconic 1932 structure on the UT campus, additional space for restrooms, mechanical, and electrical systems was essential to meet modern standards. Preserving the historic exterior ruled out expansion, so solutions stayed within the existing envelope using a two-pronged approach.
Hogg Memorial Auditorium, by McKinney York Architects, won an American Architecture Award 2025 from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
Auditorium space was removed to improve acoustics and sightlines while right-sizing seating to match plumbing capacity. Excavation beneath the building created room for mechanical systems around existing piers, done manually with jackhammers to avoid structural risks. On the orchestra level, balcony overhang areas became a mixing booth and restrooms; mezzanine slopes housed more restrooms for upper patrons.
The original small vestibule and open lobby caused sound disruptions and outdoor queuing. Renovation shifted the sound barrier to the auditorium’s back wall, expanding the lobby for queuing, banquets, and gatherings. It now seats just over 1,000—bridging Bates Recital Hall (700 seats) and Bass Concert Hall (2,900)—with 14 gender-inclusive restrooms for high-capacity events.
Key features were restored: encaustic tiles cleaned, pendant lights LED-retrofitted, and stenciled ceilings preserved. The decorative lobby wood wall abstracts stage plaster geometries for a modern bridge to formality. Windows, once boarded for theater use, now admit natural light via tinted glass, shades, and curtains.
Original worn seating was replaced with blue upholstered chairs matching historic colors and UT branding, with wood backs echoing wainscot. Rare longhorn-covered aisle end caps were replicated from molds of surviving originals, linking to university heritage.
Architects: McKinney York Architects
Design Team: Michelle Rossomando, Andrew Green, Charles Miles, Madhuri Shashidhar, Johan Cheah, Josh Leger, Astrid Santos, and Ko Kuwabara
General Contractor: SpawGlass Holding LLC.
Client: The University of Texas at Austin
Photographers: Patrick Wong
