The new, three-story, 83,000 SF Mary M Torggler Fine Arts Center stuns on the campus of Christopher Newport University adjacent to the Ferguson Center for the Arts designed by I.M Pei. It houses gallery and programming space for the University’s Fine Arts program. Three cascading glass domes create a dramatic atrium entrance, symbolizing the three ships commanded by the University’s namesake.

The first floor houses an art history lecture hall, museum shop, hands-on gallery and studies for the 3D arts disciplines. The second and third floors house the museum’s large gallery. Moveable walls allow the space to be reconfigured for various exhibitions. Student classrooms and galleries, lab spaces including dark room, photo lab, light lab and digital art studios will complete the second floor. The third floor houses drawing and painting studios and a cafe with outdoor terraces.

Behind the scenes, support spaces include secure loading and art handling areas to meet American Alliance of Museums (AAM) accreditation standards.