UNC-CH Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History

The Sonja Haynes Stone Center supports a variety of programs including the Institute for African-American Research and Upward Bound, along with various student activities including dance, theater and student publications. The new building features an art gallery, Hall of Fame, 400-seat theater, multi-purpose space, satellite library, and other support spaces and amenities.

Designed as a pavilion in the woods, the building respects the traditional campus architecture while establishing its own unique identity within the University. The facility is comprised of two parts: the cylindrical, 400-seat auditorium on the south side and a rectangular masonry structure that houses the programs of the Stone Center. The glass connector between these elements serves as a pre-function area for the auditorium. The north side of the building overlooking the woods features a grand columned porch revealing the center’s “living room” that directly connects to the gallery, multipurpose spaces and academic programs.  This double height “living room” fosters social interaction and offers exceptional vistas of the wooded area and north campus beyond.  Great chandeliers illuminate the porch and open gallery space at night further emphasizing the pavilion-in-the-woods concept.