Michigan State University

Spartan Newsroom and Immersive Media Studio

East Lansing, Michigan

In place of dark corridors and thick brick, the spacious new Spartan Newsroom and Immersive Media Studio is everything a visual artist needs to be creative in a digital world. C2AE’s design team reconfigured several traditional classrooms into a learning center with two distinct sections, both exposed by glass storefronts. Like the windows crowded by excited onlookers at a big time newsroom, these glass panes (and the space’s visible inner-workings) transform the building from stagnant to cutting edge. The open ceiling adds texture and intrigue while improving acoustic absorption—an important consideration for media education.

At one end of the center, a broadcast studio simulates modern working newsrooms, complete with film crews, a news desk, and collaborative stations. At the opposite end, motion capture equipment gives students experience with the same technology used by professionals in video game animation. The flexible, tech-centered design encourages classmates to come explore, to brainstorm, and ultimately to learn how to flourish in lifelong media careers.