The Facilities and Campus Planning Committee of Penn’s Board of Trustees discussed updates for two upcoming major campus renovation projects at their meeting on Thursday: a redesign of 1920 Commons and an addition to the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
The Commons redesign will create new spaces for dining and studying, and the multi-purpose addition to Annenberg will be for performance and rehearsal use. Both projects are estimated to be completed by 2029 and will cost $105 million and $25.7 million, respectively.
Design Principal for ikon.5 Architects Joseph Tattoni presented the four-phase renovation of Commons that plans to modernize the building and enhance student experience.
The first phase of construction — set to begin in June 2026 — will include a western addition that will serve as the main building entrance, featuring a sloping walkway from 38th Street to accommodate Quad and Stouffer College House residents. The addition will also include a green roof designed to manage stormwater, increase natural daylight, and reduce energy costs.
“The addition is a transparent, glassy porch-like pavilion that allows students to see inside and to be seen, strengthening connections to campus,” Tattoni said.
The renovation of the main building — which will increase the total number of seats in the building to 761 — will expand Commons’ all-you-care-to-eat concept with the addition of 11 food stations, a new 160-seat Gourmet Grocer that includes three retail “grab-and-go” kitchens, and a 176-seat lower-level coffee house that will replace Starbucks — commonly known as “Stommons.”
“Some of our strongest memories of our college experience is often over sharing a meal,” Tattoni added. “The reimagined 1920 Commons offers that opportunity for students to happen day after day.”
The lower two levels of Commons will be renovated during the second phase, after which a temporary dining hall will open on those floors while the upper level undergoes renovation.
The project is currently in its development phase and was first announced in December 2024. It is scheduled to be ready for occupancy by the end of 2028.
Eric Höweler, a principal at Höweler + Yoon Architects, presented the new expanded entry to the Annenberg Center that will serve as a multipurpose performance and rehearsal space. The triangular black box theatre features large “backlit” windows looking into Annenberg Plaza, creating an outdoor covered performance space that can seat up to 200 people.
“We like the idea that the building turns itself inside-out,” Höweler said. “Performances can spill out onto the plaza and activate the space.”
The project remains in the design phase, with construction documents expected to be finalized by January 2027. Construction is anticipated to begin in June 2026 after the project was first announced in September 2022.
“[The addition to Annenberg] brings students, but also the larger community, into Penn, creating a gateway moment,” Höweler added. “Something much more inviting and welcoming.”
