It is a great honour, both as a UIC alumna and as an architect practising in Chicago, to be part of such an important cultural project
– Jackie Koo

The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) has selected OMA and KOO to plan its US$95m (€85.1m, £75m) Center for the Arts.

The 88,000 sq ft (8,175.4 sq m) complex will have a translucent roof with embedded photovoltaics that will reflect light from the performance halls.

The facility – to be located on the school's north-west campus – will comprise a 500-seat concert hall and a 270-seat auditorium, as well as a rooftop terrace, rhearsal rooms, exhibition spaces and F&B outlets.

Speaking on the project, Shohei Shigematsu, a partner at OMA's New York office, said: "Our design focuses on fostering dialogue between performance and the public – the new building will be a connector between the city and UIC’s urban campus."

Walter Benn Michaels, interim dean of UIC’s College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts, commented: "This design both creates a central space for thinking and making and provides a vivid image of the innovative work of the schools of the college."

Fundraising for the scheme is currently underway.