The James and Anne Duderstadt Center, formerly known as the Media Union, opened in 1996 as a special place to provide faculty and students with the tools and collaborative space for creating the future. Located on the University of Michigan North Campus, the Duderstadt Center houses the Art, Architecture, and Engineering Library, the College of Engineering Computer Aided Engineering Network (CAEN), the Digital Media Commons, and the Millennium Project, the building provides a nexus for creative and technological innovation across disciplines. The Mujo Cafe provides a space for refreshment and social interaction.
With 400+ computers available 24/7, the Duderstadt Center is the largest public computing site at the University of Michigan. It also offers student access to 3D and virtual reality labs, a large video production studio, a state-of-the-art audio recording studio, two electronic music studios and Video conferencing and uniques collaboration rooms. The library's engineering resources are among the most comprehensive in the country with large portions of its journal holdings being available electronically. The library's Special Collections and Visual Resources Collection (Imageworks) offer special resources to support the School of Art and Design, and the College of Architecture and Urban Planning.
Building history
Designed by Albert Kahn Associates of Detroit, the building opened its doors in 1996. A vast north-facing expanse of glass illuminates the 1st floor atrium, its colorful mural "Euclid's Comet" by Dorothea Rockburne, and 2nd floor library lobby. The pyramidal skylight over the center of the building further enhances the openness of the core space. Indirect lighting provides a glare-free setting for individual and group study and library shelving areas. Conceived with flexibility in mind, the space is quickly adapting to the wireless environment and the increasing need for group workspaces.