The building, located between Lebanon and South Streets and designed by Truex Cullins for the College, was completed in December 2009 as the department's temporary home, Snyder said. The construction of the shell and core of the building cost $10.7 million.
The three-story, 35,000-square foot structure now houses a combination of classrooms, studio space and faculty offices within a brick and steel-frame exterior, Snyder said.
The studio art department currently occupies two-thirds of 4 Currier Place, leaving the third floor of the building unoccupied. The sculpture studio spans a large portion of the ground floor alongside several classrooms. Painting and art studios and offices for studio art faculty are located on the second level.
While the photography studios and some drawing studios remain in the Hopkins Center for the Arts, the rest of the studio art department relocated from Clement Hall just before winter break, Snyder said.
Louise Hamlin, the chair of the studio art department, said that moving from Clement Hall to 4 Currier Place was "a lot of work," but provided a good learning experience that will be helpful when the department moves to the VAC.
The new building in many ways is an improvement over the art studios in Clement Hall, which had previously been a garage and an office building, Hamlin said.
"It's a gorgeous building," Sarah Freihofer '10, who is studying art history modified with studio art, said. "A lot of people had a sentimental attachment to Clement Hall, but other than that, there are no drawbacks. We pretty much have everything we need, and because it's essentially across the street from the old building, it's not really a hassle."
Classrooms and studios are brightly-lit by the combination of natural light flooding through enormous windows and an ample supply of lighting fixtures.
The improved lighting in 4 Currier Place makes it "easier to work in" and more comfortable for students, Freihofer said.
"The new building is a much more pleasant space to work in," Bethany Mills '10 said. "It's very well equipped for our work."
The demolition of Clement Hall is scheduled to begin Feb. 15 in order to make way for the VAC, according to Snyder. No specific plans have been made for the use or occupation of 4 Currier Place once the center is complete.
The space may be used for commercial offices and rented out to local businesses after the studio art department decamps from the building, the Valley Business Journal reported.
"The current plan is to move everybody into the VAC when it opens," Snyder said. "[The Real Estate Office] will be looking for new tenants to occupy these spaces, but that is more than two years away."
The VAC, made possible by an anonymous $50-million donation to the College last year, is scheduled to be ready for use by fall 2012, The Dartmouth previously reported.
Six potential contractors will vie for the VAC's main building construction contract when bidding documents are released next month. Construction of the VAC will begin in May, Snyder said.
