Dartmouth expanding Hopkins arts centre, selects architect

HANOVER, N.H. – Dartmouth College is planning a major expansion of its Hopkins Center for the Arts to create three new recital halls and upgrade technologies to share and broadcast Dartmouth-originated works globally, among other improvements.

Dartmouth has reached a third of its $75 million fundraising goal for the project. It announced Wednesday that Norway- and New York-based architectural firm Snøhetta will lead the expansion and redesign. The firm’s recent and current projects include the redesign of Times Square, the El Paso Children’s Museum, and the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.

The redesign of “the Hop,” which opened in 1962, marks a new milestone in the Dartmouth’s decade-long, more than $180 million investment in its arts district. It follows Dartmouth’s investment in the Black Family Visual Arts Center and redesign and expansion of the Hood Museum of Art.

“The Hop has long served as a leader in the arts, bringing the voices of an incredible range of artists to our region and cultivating an academic experience that positions creativity at its core,” Mary Lou Aleskie, centre director, said in a statement. “As we look to the future, we are committed to establishing new spaces and opportunities that will enable artistic ideas to flourish and be realized within our community.”