Spelman College Opens Campbell Center for Innovation & the Arts

Spelman College opened the Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation & the Arts in April of 2025 in Atlanta. Studio Gang and Goode Van Slyke Architecture designed the $96 million project to advance STEM education and drive collaborative discovery at the intersection of technological development and creative expression. Representing the college's first new academic building in nearly 25 years, the 82,500-sf facility is strategically sited on the periphery of campus to foster engagement with a growing arts district.

Opening onto a public plaza, the, five-story structure features the Porch, a community-facing zone with a dance performance studio, a black box theater, an art gallery, and a café. A multifunctional lobby can accommodate a diverse range of events. On the second level, two double-height environments foster interaction and knowledge exchange among students from all programs. The Forum is a vibrant atrium that can host performances, pin-up sessions, and gatherings. The Arthur M. Blank Innovation Lab puts science on display in a maker space that is visible to pedestrians outside and students in the classrooms and work areas above. The upper stories offer a dynamic mix of instructional venues, rehearsal studios, and technology labs. An elevated walkway connects to the second floor to enable student and faculty access when an event is in progress below.

The interdisciplinary facility is targeting LEED Silver sustainable design certification and leverages a sophisticated façade to passively shade the interior while admitting natural light. Photovoltaic arrays will be installed on the roof at a later date to enhance energy performance. The project team included engineering firms Thornton Tomasetti, Long Engineering, and RMF Engineering, as well as consultants dbHMS, Newcomb & Boyd, Threshold Acoustics, Morlights, Theatre Projects, and Venue Cost Consulting. BDR Partners acted as owner's representative and Air Analysis of Atlanta performed commissioning services. Turner Construction began work on the center in May of 2022.