On Wednesday, Feb. 15, Architect Craig Dykers — of the world renowned firm Snøhetta — will present a lecture on his firm’s work at the UNC Charlotte Center City Building. This lecture is co-sponsored by AIA Charlotte, The Mint Museum (a Knight arts grantee) and the UNC Charlotte School of Architecture.

A reception will begin at 5 p.m. on the second floor lobby preceding the public lecture at 6 p.m. This event is free and open to the public but requires registration. The Center City Building, in uptown Charlotte, is located at ninth and Brevard Streets. If you have not already seen it, you can’t miss it. This is a beautiful structure and great example of thought-provoking architecture.

Dykers is co-founder of the Oslo and New York-based architecture, landscape and interior design firm Snøhetta. Born in Germany to British and American parents, he has lived equally in Europe and the U.S. Dykers completed his education at the University of Texas at Austin before beginning his career in California and is a member of the Norwegian, U.S. and British Institutes of Architecture, as well as the Royal Society of Art.

Part of Snøhetta’s philosophy is that “Architecture cannot be contained simply by rules of order. Instead, it must accommodate the restless mind of human society.” Snøhetta is the only company to have twice won the World Architecture Award for Best Cultural Building. This is in addition to many other prestigious awards the firm has been given for their creations.

Of course, the site and context of UNC Charlotte Center City building is very unique to Charlotte and this building stands like a beacon in one of the more underdeveloped areas of uptown. UNC Charlotte’s Center City Building is also the home of a new innovative art gallery which exemplifies the creative arm of the university.

The mission of the College of Arts + Architecture gallery system is to create lively forums in which the curious encounter the work of global, regional and local artists through diverse media and dynamic exchanges that are nourished by the intellectual and creative life of the university. This programming echos crossovers of the visual arts, architecture, music, theatre and dance inherent to the College of Arts + Architecture at UNC Charlotte. Their goal is to provide a haven for experimentation, to invigorate the environments we all occupy and to amplify the means to engage art and design in our community.

This new building, Dykers’ presentation, as well as an installation by artist Anna von Gwinner, all work together to challenge, inspire and educate not just their students but everyone in this community we share. “Anna von Gwinner | Betwixt & Between” is a rear projected video installation in the Center City Gallery.

An artist and architect, von Gwinner is long known for her abilities to create a visual and spatial union between architecture and the moving image. This new commissioned work for the Center City Gallery is on view through March 15, 2012.

SNØHETTA: Works (featuring Craig Dykers) on Feb. 15, 2012 UNCC Center City Building | E. Ninth St., Building 320, Charlotte, N.C. 28202 MAP 5 p.m. reception on the second floor lobby 6 p.m. lecture Free | Registration required here