PHILADELPHIA -- The University of Pennsylvania has selected Dagit*Saylor, a Philadelphia architecture firm, to prepare a feasibility study and schematic drawings for the Arts, Culture and Research Hub, or the ARCH, at the intersection of 36th Street and Locust Walk.

The ARCH was built in the late-Gothic revival style in the late 1920s by three Penn alumni architects and has been adapted to include administrative offices and student facilities. It provides office and meeting spaces for the Black Cultural Center, known as MAKUU; the Pan Asian American Community House; and La Casa Latina and hosts a satellite office for Penn’s Greenfield Intercultural Center. In addition, it houses the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, the Benjamin Franklin Scholars and University Scholars.

“The ARCH is a wonderful gathering place, populated by students engaged in exploring arts, culture and research ” Ron Daniels, Penn provost, said. “By renewing the ARCH, we are encouraging these students to more fully pursue the co-curricular activities that shape so much of their Penn experience.”

Dagit*Saylor Architects collaborated previously with Penn on the restoration of Fisher-Bennett Hall and Penn Museum.

Penn Connects, the University’s 30-year campus plan, which includes the ARCH restoration, encompasses academic, research, residential and other types of projects. Additional information is available at www.pennconnects.upenn.edu.