A transformed Memorial Hall awaits you, heralding a new era for the arts at Carolina and in our region. Funded through a partnership between the State of North Carolina and hundreds of generous donors, the $18 million Transformation provides our community with an inviting and inspired gathering place, offering world class performances of music, dance, and theater, innovative forms of cultural and artistic expression, and lectures by some of today's most influential speakers.
Located in the heart of the University's historic campus, Memorial Hall has hosted world-renowned performers and elegant ceremonies throughout her long and storied history. In 1883, when lack of space in Gerrard Hall prevented adequate seating for commencement, plans were quickly drawn for a much larger building that would serve as a memorial to David Lowry Swain (former North Carolina governor and past president of the University of North Carolina), to other notable North Carolinians, and to the students, faculty and staff who lost their lives in the line of duty. Funds were raised by the sale of marble tablets commemorating those individuals and the Hall was dedicated in 1885. In 1929, it was discovered that the building was structurally unsound and the hall was condemned and razed.
In 1931, the current building, retaining the name Memorial Hall, opened its doors with the original marble tablets covering the new walls. For over 70 years, the building served the campus and community well. But in time, as the University grew and the needs of patrons and performers evolved, it became painfully obvious that a major overhaul of the old cultural gem was necessary.
Memorial Halls doors closed April 20, 2002 after the Clef Hangers spring concert and the three-year Transformation began. On September 8, 2005, a ribbon-cutting ceremony kicked of the Grand Opening Gala weekend that included the North Carolina Symphony, Tony Bennett, Itzhak Perlman. Pinchas Zukerman, Leonard Slatkin and Carolina Performs: A Student Performing Arts Celebration.
New features of the transformed Memorial Hall include:
- Comfortable new seats with more leg room
- Air conditioning
- Additional restrooms
- Better sightlines
- Improved handicapped accessibility
- State-of-the-art lighting and sound systems
- An expanded lobby on the east and west ends
- New gallery and reception room
- Refurbished chandeliers and ornate fixtures
- Larger stage house and dressing rooms
- New orchestra pit and hydraulic stage lift
Memorial Hall helps anchor the new Arts Common, part of the campus master plan, encompassing an area extending southward from Franklin Street, the University's front door, to Historic Playmakers Theatre. Serving as the new heart of the campus, the Arts Common will provide a home for new ideas and a space where campus and community intersect, encouraging traditional connections and inspiring new collaborations.