Latest
issue
GET ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT
magazine
Yes! Send me the FREE digital edition of Attractions Management and the FREE weekly Attractions Management ezines and breaking news alerts!
Not right now, thanksclose this window I've already subscribed. I've already subscribed.
Get Attractions Management digital magazine FREE
Sign up here ▸
Jobs   News   Features   Products   Company profilesProfiles   Magazine   Handbook   Advertise    Subscribe  
NEWS
Diamond Schmitt Architects unveil vision for Buddy Holly-inspired music and arts complex
POSTED 04 May 2016 . BY Kim Megson
The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences will be distinctive for its sloping rooftop and the adjacent light scupture Credit: Diamond Scmitt
Canadian practice Diamond Schmitt Architects have released design details for a new arts complex in Texas inspired by the legendary 1950s pop star Buddy Holly.

The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences will be located in the city of Lubbock, where the singer was born.

The multi-purpose centre will be a new home for rock concerts, operas, ballets and touring Broadway shows, as well as large-scale social and community events.

Inspired "by the spirit of West Texas," the building will have a sloping roofline. Diamond Schmitt have designed “swooping planes and cascading columns” to establish a strong visual identity and create a welcoming entrance. Overhangs on the south-facing façade, angled fins, and frit on the structure’s glazing will control heat gain.

An adjacent 200ft (61m) high telecommunications tower will be covered with a spiralling light sculpture visible from miles around, providing the hall with a beacon.

Facilities will include a 2,200-seat main theatre, an additional 400-seat theatre, a 22,000sq ft (2,000sq m) Dance Centre for Lubbock's ballet company, a bistro cafe and a large public lobby with a helical staircase which can be used throughout the day and is also flexible performance space.

“Our goal is to have this venue feel great for all types of performers and audiences – whether they are in jeans and hats or ball gowns,” said Matthew Lella, a principal at Diamond Schmitt.

To achieve this versatility, the floor of the main auditorium can have raked seating or be made flat for a standing audience – as seen in an exclusive CLAD rendering showing a rock concert taking place. Top-tier natural acoustics will make the main auditorium an ideal performing venue for large symphony orchestras.

“The aim for Lubbock is to create a performing arts centre as good acoustically, as welcoming to the public, and as attractive to performers to be among the best halls in North America,” said co-principal Jack Diamond.

The project is being developed by The Lubbock Entertainment and Performing Arts Association (LEPAA), which has raised US$81m (€70.5m, £56m) of its US$146m (€127m, £100m) fundraising target. The facility will be fully funded through private donations. A donor wall inside the centre will be made up of guitar picks to form an iconic image of Holly.

Construction is set to commence later this year with a projected opening in 2019. Diamond Schmitt are working with development team partners Garfield Public/Private, Parkhill, Smith & Cooper, MWM Architects, Hugo Reed & Associates, Jaffe Holden Acoustics, Schuler Shook and Lee Lewis Construction.

The Toronto-based studio are working on a number of other cultural and leisure projects around the world, including “an architectural rejuvenation” for Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa and a renovated concert hall for New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts with Thomas Heatherwick.

The multi-purpose centre will be a new home for rock concerts, operas, ballets and touring Broadway shows, as well as large-scale social and community events Credit: Diamond Scmitt
Seats can be removed to create a standing auditorium for rock concerts, as seen in this exclusive CLAD image Credit: Diamond Scmitt
The public lobby will be used throughout the day and will function as a flexible performance space Credit: Diamond Scmitt
The centre will be built in the city of Lubbock, Texas, where Buddy Holly was born Credit: Diamond Scmitt
The main auditorium will hold 2,200 people Credit: Diamond Scmitt
Buddy Holly, who died at only 22 years of age, remains one of the most iconic and influential figures in rock and roll history Credit: YouTube
RELATED STORIES
  Heatherwick Studio to lead US$500m redesign of New York concert hall


Following a two-year competition involving more than 100 leading architecture and design firms, Heatherwick Studio and Diamond Schmitt Architects have been selected to reimagine and renovate a concert hall for New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
MORE NEWS
Mubadala makes €1 billion bid for Pierre and Vacances
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed €1 billion offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney confirms US$30 billion investment programme as it highlights its economic impact
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh will create a permanent global destination
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
Australian waterpark acquisition creates new leisure attractions group
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor, creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
+ More news   
LATEST JOBS
General Manager, The Needles
Heritage Great Britain
Salary: c£70,000pa + benefits + relocation support
Job location: Isle of Wight , United Kingdom
+ More jobs  

COMPANY PROFILES
QubicaAMF UK

QubicaAMF is the largest and most innovative bowling equipment provider with 600 employees worldwi [more...]
Clip 'n Climb

Clip ‘n Climb currently offers facility owners and investors more than 40 colourful and unique Cha [more...]
IAAPA EMEA

IAAPA Expo Europe was established in 2006 and has grown to the largest international conference and [more...]
Holovis

Holovis is a privately owned company established in 2004 by CEO Stuart Hetherington. [more...]
+ More profiles  
CATALOGUE GALLERY
 

+ More catalogues  
DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
29 Sep - 02 Oct 2026

Synergy - The Retreat Show

Pical Resort, Valamar Collection, Porec, Croatia
+ More diary  
LATEST ISSUES
+ View Magazine Archive

Attractions Management

2026 issue 1


View issue contents
View on turning pages
Download PDF
FREE digital subscription
Print subscription

Attractions Management

2025 issue 2


View issue contents
View on turning pages
Download PDF
FREE digital subscription
Print subscription

Attractions Management

2025 issue 1


View issue contents
View on turning pages
Download PDF
FREE digital subscription
Print subscription

Attractions Management

2024 issue 4


View issue contents
View on turning pages
Download PDF
FREE digital subscription
Print subscription

Attractions Management News

06 Apr 2020 issue 153


View on turning pages
Download PDF
View archive
FREE digital subscription
Print subscription

Attractions Handbook

2019


View issue contents
View on turning pages
Download PDF
FREE digital subscription
Print subscription
 
ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
LEISURE MEDIA MAGAZINES
LEISURE MEDIA HANDBOOKS
LEISURE MEDIA WEBSITES
LEISURE MEDIA PRODUCT SEARCH
 
ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT
ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT NEWS
ATTRACTIONS HANDBOOK
PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS
FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS
ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

Leisure Media
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026
Get Attractions Management digital magazine FREE
Sign up here ▸
Jobs    News   Products   Magazine   Subscribe
NEWS
Diamond Schmitt Architects unveil vision for Buddy Holly-inspired music and arts complex
POSTED 04 May 2016 . BY Kim Megson
The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences will be distinctive for its sloping rooftop and the adjacent light scupture Credit: Diamond Scmitt
Canadian practice Diamond Schmitt Architects have released design details for a new arts complex in Texas inspired by the legendary 1950s pop star Buddy Holly.

The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences will be located in the city of Lubbock, where the singer was born.

The multi-purpose centre will be a new home for rock concerts, operas, ballets and touring Broadway shows, as well as large-scale social and community events.

Inspired "by the spirit of West Texas," the building will have a sloping roofline. Diamond Schmitt have designed “swooping planes and cascading columns” to establish a strong visual identity and create a welcoming entrance. Overhangs on the south-facing façade, angled fins, and frit on the structure’s glazing will control heat gain.

An adjacent 200ft (61m) high telecommunications tower will be covered with a spiralling light sculpture visible from miles around, providing the hall with a beacon.

Facilities will include a 2,200-seat main theatre, an additional 400-seat theatre, a 22,000sq ft (2,000sq m) Dance Centre for Lubbock's ballet company, a bistro cafe and a large public lobby with a helical staircase which can be used throughout the day and is also flexible performance space.

“Our goal is to have this venue feel great for all types of performers and audiences – whether they are in jeans and hats or ball gowns,” said Matthew Lella, a principal at Diamond Schmitt.

To achieve this versatility, the floor of the main auditorium can have raked seating or be made flat for a standing audience – as seen in an exclusive CLAD rendering showing a rock concert taking place. Top-tier natural acoustics will make the main auditorium an ideal performing venue for large symphony orchestras.

“The aim for Lubbock is to create a performing arts centre as good acoustically, as welcoming to the public, and as attractive to performers to be among the best halls in North America,” said co-principal Jack Diamond.

The project is being developed by The Lubbock Entertainment and Performing Arts Association (LEPAA), which has raised US$81m (€70.5m, £56m) of its US$146m (€127m, £100m) fundraising target. The facility will be fully funded through private donations. A donor wall inside the centre will be made up of guitar picks to form an iconic image of Holly.

Construction is set to commence later this year with a projected opening in 2019. Diamond Schmitt are working with development team partners Garfield Public/Private, Parkhill, Smith & Cooper, MWM Architects, Hugo Reed & Associates, Jaffe Holden Acoustics, Schuler Shook and Lee Lewis Construction.

The Toronto-based studio are working on a number of other cultural and leisure projects around the world, including “an architectural rejuvenation” for Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa and a renovated concert hall for New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts with Thomas Heatherwick.

The multi-purpose centre will be a new home for rock concerts, operas, ballets and touring Broadway shows, as well as large-scale social and community events Credit: Diamond Scmitt
Seats can be removed to create a standing auditorium for rock concerts, as seen in this exclusive CLAD image Credit: Diamond Scmitt
The public lobby will be used throughout the day and will function as a flexible performance space Credit: Diamond Scmitt
The centre will be built in the city of Lubbock, Texas, where Buddy Holly was born Credit: Diamond Scmitt
The main auditorium will hold 2,200 people Credit: Diamond Scmitt
Buddy Holly, who died at only 22 years of age, remains one of the most iconic and influential figures in rock and roll history Credit: YouTube
RELATED STORIES
Heatherwick Studio to lead US$500m redesign of New York concert hall


Following a two-year competition involving more than 100 leading architecture and design firms, Heatherwick Studio and Diamond Schmitt Architects have been selected to reimagine and renovate a concert hall for New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
MORE NEWS
Mubadala makes €1 billion bid for Pierre and Vacances
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed €1 billion offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney confirms US$30 billion investment programme as it highlights its economic impact
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh will create a permanent global destination
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
Australian waterpark acquisition creates new leisure attractions group
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor, creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
London Museum reveals 2026 opening date for new Smithfield home
The London Museum’s new site will open in Smithfield, East London, on 28 November 2026.
Toverland unveils €98m expansion plan as park prepares to launch resort development
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi- day destination.
+ More news   
 
COMPANY PROFILES
QubicaAMF UK

QubicaAMF is the largest and most innovative bowling equipment provider with 600 employees worldwi [more...]
Clip 'n Climb

Clip ‘n Climb currently offers facility owners and investors more than 40 colourful and unique Cha [more...]
IAAPA EMEA

IAAPA Expo Europe was established in 2006 and has grown to the largest international conference and [more...]
Holovis

Holovis is a privately owned company established in 2004 by CEO Stuart Hetherington. [more...]
+ More profiles  
CATALOGUE GALLERY
+ More catalogues  
DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
29 Sep - 02 Oct 2026

Synergy - The Retreat Show

Pical Resort, Valamar Collection, Porec, Croatia
+ More diary  
 


ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

Leisure Media
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026

ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
LEISURE MEDIA MAGAZINES
LEISURE MEDIA HANDBOOKS
LEISURE MEDIA WEBSITES
LEISURE MEDIA PRODUCT SEARCH
ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT NEWS
ATTRACTIONS HANDBOOK
PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS
FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS