'The Areté' to rise in Ateneo

MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo de Manila University President Father Jett Villarin SJ led last week the ground blessing of the university’s creativity hub, “The Areté.”

The construction of the building, which will be erected in front of the Ricardo and Dr. Rosita Leong Hall, will begin in 2016.

It will house the Ateneo Art Gallery, a state-of-the-art 900-seater theater and concert hall and a Black Box theater with a seating capacity of up to 250.

The building will also have The Learning Innovation Wing, which will bring together the various disciplines of art, a contemporary classroom called "Sandboxes" that can serve as a laboratory, a studio, and a consultation/workshop area.

It will also have art studios for rehearsals for visual performing and visual arts and classes will be held in coordination with Le Cordon Bleu.

Father Jett said the Areté will “resonate with what it stands for – excellence, goodness, virtue. No English word or phrase quite captures the exact meaning of this Greek word. The nearest equivalents are 'excellence' and 'virtue'. Both Plato and Aristotle espoused this notion of excellence that is ultimately tied to the fulfillment of purpose or function: the act of living up to one's full potential. This, along with the Ignatian magis, is precisely the spirit we hope to nurture
and cultivate in this new complex.”

“[The Arete] is an iconic hub that will bring together the different disciplines and create a space where we hope to cultivate the spirit of creativity and innovation,” Fr. Jett added.

During the ground blessing, an installation made of soil and wood by artist Niccolo Jose named “Blue Eagle’s Nest” was also unveiled.