As Alex Pentimonti admired her surroundings, she spoke out loud. The fourth-year student at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce – and president of the Commerce Council – raved about the “traveling staircase” and the “big bright classrooms” and “stunning cafe.”
“I think I might have to find another reason to stay a year,” she joked Friday to an amused crowd that gathered at the McIntire School to celebrate the grand opening of Shumway Hall, as well as the completed renovation of the adjoining Cobb Hall.
A new era has arrived on the Breeden Commerce Grounds with the advent of a sparkling interconnected hub for McIntire School students, faculty and staff members. Ground broke on the multi-million dollar project in September 2022.
The new Student Success Center in Shumway Hall includes this stunning spiral staircase. (Photo by JB Fitts)
“This is a totally cool building,” UVA President Jim Ryan said, “which I realize is not a technical architectural term. But at every turn, you can see that the building has been designed with students in mind.”
Ryan, echoing Pentimonti, highlighted specific spaces, including the one where he stood: an atrium, filled with natural light, that can accommodate more than 350 audience members. The two-story “Student Success Center” and the versatile “Grand Classroom,” designed for teaching during the day and events at night, are among Shumway Hall’s other featured areas.
Cobb Hall, originally constructed in 1917 as a chemistry building, has completed a transformative renovation, integrating state-of-the-art academic, meeting and office spaces.
“As cool as the building is, it’s what will happen here in this building (Shumway Hall), in the renovated Cobb Hall and on the beautiful Breeden Commerce Grounds, that will matter,” Ryan said. “And I’m convinced that this project will help McIntire both expand its reach and deepen its roots.”
Shumway Hall was financed in part by a $25 million donation from The Chris & Carrie Shumway Foundation, while scores of other donors also helped make the building a reality. Chris Shumway, a 1988 McIntire School alumnus and founder of Shumway Capital, serves as a visiting scholar at his alma mater, with an emphasis on global macro investing.
“McIntire has a long history of combining academic excellence and entrepreneurial spirit while always looking to what’s next and staying true to its core values,” Shumway said. “It was a great challenge to create a building for the future that fits into the core tradition and values that are UVA and I hope you will agree that the team nailed it.”
He said he anticipates Shumway Hall becoming a laboratory for “discovery and curiosity.”
This aerial view of the atrium in Shumway Hall shows off the large, light-filled space. The atrium, which can accommodate 350 audience members, hosted Friday’s grand opening event. (Photo by JB Fitts)
“Most great business ideas come out of somebody starting a sentence that begins with, ‘Why don’t we try x?’” Shumway said. “Sometimes it’s off the wall, sometimes it’s genius. What matters isn’t being right all the time. What matters is that you keep asking the question, ‘Why don’t we try x?’
“So, my hope is that this new building isn’t about getting to the correct answers all the time. What matters is that this is where people ask all the best questions.”
McIntire School Dean Nicole Thorne Jenkins thanked several individuals associated with the completion of the expansion, including Bryan Lewis, the school’s chief information officer and assistant dean of operations, who helmed the project. She also acknowledged external partners DPR Construction, Glavé & Holmes and Robert A.M. Stern Architects.
Jenkins then ended the celebration by presenting Chis and Carrie Shumway with a plaque before delivering a fitting toast.
“To Shumway Hall,” she said, “may its halls echo with curiosity, courage and the joy of learning for years to come. Hear, hear!”
