HYDE PARK, NY – Yesterday’s grand opening of the new Student Commons and student dining venue at The Culinary Institute of America—dubbed “The Egg,” for its oval shape—included the unveiling of a 1,100-pound chrome-finished eight-foot sculpture designed by Dillon Works of Mukilteo, Washington.

The new 28,468-square-foot food court facility, built by Kirchhoff-Consigli Construction Management, is the CIA’s answer to the question of how you “both feed and educate the nation’s future tastemakers with experiences above and beyond any other collegiate foodservice operation,” according to CIA Communications Manager, Jeff Levine.

The creation of world-renowned interior architect, Adam Tihany, in collaboration with project architects, Noelker & Hull Associates, Inc., The Egg serves as a student dining center and experiential classroom for CIA education programs, combining the most contemporary food and beverage technology, including an on-site microbrewery, made possible by a gift from The Brooklyn Brewery, with a wide variety of dining choices and a state-of-the-art kitchen.

“The Egg features seven lounge areas with a total seating of 500 indoors, outdoor seating for 150 with views of the Hudson River, a special events stage and advanced sound system, large multi-media screens for movie and sports nights, and dozens of charging stations,” says Levine.

The Student Commons also includes the newly renovated, 50,426-square-foot Student Recreation Center, offering students a wide variety of athletic and recreation options and a new 6,617-square-foot Student Affairs Wing, housing the Dean of Student Affairs, Counseling and Psychological Services, Health Services and Residential Life departments, as well as meeting space for student organizations.

See more about the ribbon-cutting on the CIA website and more about this transformative facility on the CIA’s Facebook page.