A vital hub for AAP and Cornell, our historic Sibley Dome is currently under construction. When reopened, the dome will house new and renewed spaces providing opportunities to enrich and advance our academic priorities.
Project plans encompass 17,000+ square feet and include the addition of a 112-seat, circular auditorium; open, light-filled studios and workspaces; a collaborative commons with study alcoves and meeting areas for the entire AAP community; and new, centrally located homes for the cross-disciplinary Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities and the multicollege Department of Design Tech.
Cross-section rendering of Sibley Dome auditorium. image / WORKac
Rendering of Sibley Dome’s studio space and collaborative commons. image / WORKac
Cornell Chronicle
Renovations to Revitalize Sibley Dome as Vital Hub for AAP
Hardwood flooring installed in the collaborative commons outside the auditorium.
Collaborative commons with study alcoves and meeting areas for the entire AAP community takes shape.
A view from the third floor of the studios and crit spaces below.
View of the Cornell Arts Quad through the arched second-story windows.
View of future studio spaces on the second floor.
Repair and priming of Sibley Dome.
A unique view of the underside of the in-progress auditorium floor from the future third-floor banquet seating area in Sibley Dome. The transformation introduces contemporary engineering into the space’s historic framework.
On Sibley Dome’s third floor, construction has begun on the banquet walls that frame a new seating area for AAP students to congregate, blending original character with new functionality.
As construction of the second-floor Design Tech space nears completion, updated facilities for innovation and collaboration under the dome take shape.
A preview of the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities conference room with newly installed windows on the second floor.
pFraming for the auditorium floor begins to take shape.
Upper floor framing installed in Sibley Dome.
Auditorium floor framing outlines the hall’s future footprint. Curved beams will support the curtain wall of the auditorium.
Window framing is adjusted to accommodate updated mechanical infrastructure.
An exterior brick wall is prepared for the installation of an expansive conference room window.
New framing designed to mimic existing window headers is constructed.
Sibley Dome pre-construction reveals a rare view of the domed ceiling’s metalwork.
An architectural palimpsest, Sibley Dome’s third floor reveals layers of history. The renovation has uncovered historic, often mysterious elements as the space is transformed.
An architectural palimpsest, Sibley Dome’s third floor reveals layers of history. The renovation has uncovered historic, often mysterious elements as the space is transformed.
Scaffolding and other preparations are underway as demolition activities begin on the third floor of Sibley Hall.
Following demolition and asbestos abatement, an interior view reveals the space’s original bones. The stripped-down circular gallery shows the historic masonry walls, ornate railing details, and clerestory windows.
