Voxman Music Building University of Iowa - Interior

Voxman Music Building
University of Iowa

Location

Iowa City, Iowa

Owner

University of Iowa

Collaborators +

Associate Architect: Neumann Monson Architects

General Contractor: Mortenson Construction

Acoustics: Jaffe Holden

Theater Planning: Fisher Dachs Associates

Structural Engineering: Magnusson Klemencic Associates

MEP Engineering: Design Engineers

Civil Engineering: Shive-Hattery

Landscape Architecture: Confluence

Lighting Design: Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design

Graphics/Signage: Pentagram

Project Size

184,000 square feet

Seating Capacity

700 concert / 200 recital

Project Status

Completed

Certifications

Certified LEED New Construction Gold

Services

Architecture, Interior Design

After devastating floods in 2008 destroyed the original Voxman Music Building, the University of Iowa’s School of Music was dispersed across campus, disrupting internal relationships but also fostering new interdisciplinary connections. The new Voxman Music Building, now located at a prominent downtown Iowa City intersection, reestablishes the School as a bridge between campus and city life.

Designed for flexibility and collaboration, the building features extensive glazing that visually connects its interior to the surrounding community, inviting public engagement. Seven large performance and ensemble spaces are vertically arranged to maximize the compact site, while all 165 rehearsal and performance rooms are acoustically isolated and tunable, supporting a wide range of musical activities. Voxman’s design encourages spontaneous interaction, supports advanced scholarship, and strengthens community ties, enabling the School to fulfill its mission of preparing musicians, advancing faculty research, and engaging the public through innovative, accessible spaces.

Photography: Tim Griffith, Adam Hunter, Main Street Studio

Voxman Music Building, University of Iowa - Interior

Rehearsal rooms feature custom acoustic “kite” systems, designed to enhance the electric lighting and daylighting systems. Because these acoustic reflectors are suspended as separate elements, rooms can be tuned by adding or subtracting reflectors instead of undergoing an extensive acoustic remodel.

Voxman Music Building, University of Iowa - Interior
Voxman Music Building, University of Iowa - Exterior

Rigid felt fins in acoustically separating concrete walls saved the University the cost of a secondary finish wall and provided embodied energy savings as well as a playful, tactile aesthetic.

“By every measure, the building has been an extraordinary success and is transformative in ways that we could not have imagined.”

– Rod Lehnertz, Senior Vice President, Finance & Operations + University Architect at the University of Iowa
Neumann Monson Architects - Logo

Neumann Monson Architects

Associate Architect

Website

Selected Awards

2020 AIA National Honor Award for Interior Architecture

2018 AIA National Committee on Architecture for Education Facility Design Awards, Award of Excellence

2018 Chicago Athenaeum, American Architecture Award

2018 IIDA Northern Pacific Chapter INawards – Design INpublic Award

2018 WAN Education Award

2017 Architizer Finalist, Architecture + Technology

2017 AIA Seattle Chapter Merit Award

2017 AIA Washington Council Civic Design Award of Honor

2017 AIA Iowa Chapter Excellence in Energy Efficient Design

2013 Architizer, Finalist, Architecture + Sound

2013 Architizer, Jury Choice Winner, Architecture + Modeling

2013 Architizer, Popular Choice Winner, Architecture + Fabrication

2013 Architizer, Popular Choice Winner, Architecture + Modeling