Behind the fencing and scaffolding, Penn’s campus is taking on a new shape this summer.
The University is undergoing several key projects, ranging from updated housing facilities to new performing arts spaces. According to Christopher Kern — the Executive Director of Design and Construction at Penn’s Division of Facilities & Real Estate Services — the summer is “a great opportunity to do a lot of noisy demolition and construction work.”
The Daily Pennsylvanian mapped these developments — where they are, what’s changing, and when to expect results. Click on the following previews to learn more.
Kern told The Daily Pennsylvanian that his team develops “a very close working relationship with schools and centers” during periods of construction to “determine what their needs are.”
“We plan for those, whether that be through overtime work, whether that be time working at different times of the day when the facility is less occupied, or different parts of the year,” he said.
The Platt Student Arts Performing Center — which began construction during the summer of 2024 — is around 80% complete, according to Kern. The building is expected to open in January 2027.
Located at the intersection of 33rd and Chestnut streets — near both Hill College House and Lauder College House — the 38,700 square foot, $59.5 million facility will include a 300-seat proscenium theater, 125-seat studio theater, and five rehearsal studios, as well as several support spaces.
Penn Live Arts Executive and Artistic Director Chris Gruits wrote to the DP that the center is intended to serve as a “nexus” and “creative hub” for the University’s student performing arts community.
Additionally, 1920 Commons is currently undergoing an expansion which is expected to be completed by 2029. The changes to the building, which comprise its first full renovation since 1971, will cost $79 million and expand the property’s area to 59,000 square feet.
Once completed, 1920 Commons will have a new entrance pavilion, a 350-seat dining facility, an expanded Gourmet Grocer, a coffee shop, group study pods, elevators, and a locker-based food pick-up system.
The construction has been divided into three phases, allowing certain parts of the building to remain open during different parts of the project. The first phase — the demolition of Starbucks’ lower entrance and addition of a new entrance — began in May 2026 and will continue until November 2027.
During this time, Starbucks and Gourmet Grocer will remain open. Noise will be heard in 1920 Commons and Harnwell College House during the construction.
Renovations at the Quad, which have spanned three years, are nearing completion with the opening of Fisher Hassenfeld College House in August. The renovations initially began in 2023, with the Riepe and Ware College Houses remodels completed in August 2024 and August 2025, respectively.
Renovations to all three college houses spanned 520,000 square and cost $188 million. The updates include improvements to bathrooms, common spaces, heating, and air conditioning, as well as the installation of elevators.
Penn initially unveiled plans to renovate the Quad in 2018. Before that, the most recent updates to the area occurred in 2002.
To accommodate students requiring housing during construction, Penn leased 135 beds at the Axis and continued its three-year lease with the College House at the Radian. Following the completion of Quad construction, these leases are not being renewed and neither property will be available as on-campus housing.
At the west end of Penn’s campus, the Covenant art piece — commonly known as the Tampons — is undergoing structural review and paint renewal. The project, which costs $500,000, is expected to be completed in August.
The sculpture was originally installed in 1975. Since then, Kern said, the Covenant has not been “painted or maintained beyond graffiti removal and cleaning it at the lower levels.”
Kern added that the construction — led by a team of conservators and engineers — aims to have the sculpture “restored back to its original condition.”
Additionally, in a 20-month long project expected to conclude in October, Fisher Fine Arts library has been undergoing restorations to its exterior — including the roof, windows, and masonry — which are expected to cost $11 million.
Fisher was built in 1891 and was last renovated in the early 1990s. The project’s aim is to have the library “restored to its original state,” according to Kern.
The construction of the Stuart Weitzman Theater, which will be connected to the Annenberg Center and will include 200 seats, recently received Penn’s approval and now awaits the green light from the city of Philadelphia, according to Gruits. Construction will begin in 2027, with the property expected to open in 2029.
Additionally, the lower level of the McNeil Building is being converted into an academic space with additional classrooms that will be available for use beginning in April 2027, according to Kern. In a statement to the DP, a spokesperson for the Office of the Provost wrote that the renovations cost $11.5 million and will “significantly expand and upgrade classroom space in the heart of campus.”
The area became available when Penn Career Services moved to 3935 Walnut Street in January 2025. According to the spokesperson, the 15,000 square foot space is expected to house a “range” of classroom types, including group study and seminar rooms.
