Austin’s first indoor shopping mall becomes Austin Community College’s new digital media center

The first indoor shopping mall in Austin, Texas is currently undergoing a major renovation to become Austin Community College’s new digital media center.

The redesigned building will contain space for art, music, dance drama, radio-television-film, photography, visual communication, computer programming, and gaming technology.

The creative digital media center will occupy about 125,000 sf. Additionally, a culinary arts and hospitality center will occupy another 19,600 sf and continuing education classrooms will occupy 12,400 sf. The renovated building will also contain space for a regional health sciences/STEM simulation lab (14,000 sf), business incubator space, convocation and performance space, a black box theater, a conference center, and a regional workforce innovation center.

The building’s exterior is being designed by Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects and builds on the character created by the firm during the first phase of the project. It will include a pathway that can be used for socializing, studying, and dining. Perkins+Will will design the interior space, which will include plentiful natural light in classroom spaces and simplified wayfinding.

The new building has a projected opening enrollment capacity of 5,000 students.