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 110-seat, circular auditorium; open, light-filled studios and workspaces; a collaborative commons with study nooks 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
Framing for the auditorium floor begins to take shape.
The dome exterior is repaired and prepared for repainting.
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.
The addition of wall cladding brings the new window frame shape into focus.
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.
The transformation of what was once the home of Cornell’s Fine Arts Library retains the building’s original architectural bones, brick walls, and columns as the space prepares for its next chapter.
Sibley Dome pre-construction reveals a rare view of the domed ceiling’s metalwork.
The intricate metalwork of Sibley Dome speaks to both its history and its longevity.
The arched brick infill discovered during Sibley Dome’s renovation comprises meticulous brickwork and a curved archway, suggesting skilled craftsmanship from a previous era layered beneath the building’s many historical permutations.
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.
A drone view of Sibley Hall’s historic dome atrium shows the current open space that will become a 110-seat auditorium. The overhead perspective captures the architectural details of the vaulted ceiling and structural framework before renovation begins.
