Honoring the past, embracing the future: A look at Seigfred Hall
As Seigfred Hall undergoes renovations as part of a facilities renewal strategy, art students and faculty look back on the memories made in Seigfred and their hope for the facility going forward.
May 15, 2025
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For over 70 years, Seigfred Hall served as the creative heart of OHIO鈥檚 School of Art + Design. It was a space where thousands of students and faculty learned, experimented, created and made lasting memories. As of this past spring semester, the school officially relocated to the Research and Technology Center (RTECH), Tupper Hall and other campus locations to make way for a transformative renovation of Seigfred Hall, which is part of the Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts facilities renewal strategy.
As part of a $99 million capital project, the renovation aims to transform Seigfred Hall into a modern, multi-disciplinary arts hub. The updated facility will house the School of Art + Design, School of Film and School of Interdisciplinary Arts, fostering greater collaboration among these programs. The project also includes the construction of the Patton Center for Arts Education, which will feature a 350-seat theater, rehearsal space, as well as gallery space in its lobby where students鈥 artwork can be displayed.
Though the move is temporary, it marks a pivotal moment for the school - an opportunity to reflect on its rich history while looking forward to a future that promises improved facilities designed to support generations of artists to come.
According to Duane McDiarmid, director of the School of Art + Design, the temporary move feels something like a camping trip where while there will be unknowns and some discomfort, there will also be camaraderie and a sense of adventure as for what鈥檚 to come. He emphasizes that what matters is not the tangible things that make up a building like Seigfred Hall, but how we as a community carry forward together.
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e really moving is the community鈥攖he us,鈥 McDiarmid explained. 鈥淭he deep care and connection between students and their creative work, the shared wisdom of faculty, the friendships across disciplines and backgrounds. What we take with us is that rare, powerful mix of individual inspiration and the collective engagement with ideas and the world. That鈥檚 what makes this more than a temporary relocation. It鈥檚 a continuation of our shared journey.鈥
Ray Perez, a third-year graduate student in sculpture and expanded practices, who also earned his undergraduate degree from the School of Art + Design in 2016 is also reflecting on the hall and move. For Perez, the move brought the end of a long and meaningful chapter spent in Seigfred Hall.
鈥淭hey referred to it as 鈥榮winging out and swinging back into the space,鈥欌 Perez said at the time. 鈥淭hat transition could take some time, but it gives students the chance to adapt鈥攖o learn how to be resilient and face real-world challenges.鈥
Perez also emphasized the value Seigfred provided over the years, not just through its extensive facilities, but through its imperfections.
鈥淲e have really robust facilities, but this building is an old building, and my time in this building has been during its older phase,鈥 he said. 鈥淔or artists who want to work in the field, you鈥檙e not going to have the best facilities. You鈥檙e not going to be in the most state-of-the-art spaces, but I think when you鈥檙e in a space that鈥檚 just a room with ventilation and basic tools, you learn.鈥
Despite the undeniable benefits of facing such challenges, Perez doesn't believe students will stop growing as artists when they are no longer faced with the difficulties of less-than-optimal facilities.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 great that incoming students will be able to have a facility that can meet a lot of their needs while still presenting them challenges that are just the nature of this program,鈥 he said.
In addition to students, Seigfred Hall left a deep impression on generations of artists and the educators who鈥檝e taught there. Among them is Professor Melissa Haviland, who taught printmaking and created artwork in Seigfred for over two decades. The transition marked an emotional goodbye for her and many others.
鈥淐hange is always hard, and we love Seigfred,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a pretty weird building and it鈥檚 collected all these years of energy from art students, so I will miss that but certainly our swing space will have a lot of that.鈥
Haviland embraced the opportunity to celebrate Seigfred鈥檚 legacy. She even taught a 鈥淕oodbye to Seigfred鈥 course for advanced printmaking students, encouraging them to explore the building鈥檚 history through research and alumni interviews.
We realized what we loved most about the building was that we all had stories there. That鈥檚 what made it feel like home.
Constructed in 1962, Seigfred Hall was the largest arts building in the country at the time of its completion. However, over the decades, the building has faced infrastructure challenges, and it was time to bring this historic space into a more innovative world.
While Seigfred Hall will always hold a special place in the hearts of OHIO鈥檚 art and design community, the renovation represents more than just bricks and mortar, it signifies progress in improving the lives, work and education of all those who make up the College of Fine Arts.
