Building the Precursors East Mall Commemoration
Building the Precursors – We are Texas East Mall Commemoration
The Precursors – We are Texas East Mall Commemorative Project was announced in 2020. Construction on the project began in May 2024 and is scheduled to be completed by Spring 2027.
UT Austin Contracts MASS Design Group to Design the East Mall Project
In August 2022, after an extensive proposal and evaluation process, the University announced MASS Design Group as the selected architecture firm to design the Precursors We are Texas East Mall commemorative project.
Stakeholder Design Workshops
From late Fall 2022 through Spring 2023, MASS Design met with campus stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, and The Precursors, to gather feedback on early iterations of the design for the East Mall commemorative space through a series of virtual and in-person design workshops.
East Mall Visioning Plan
In August 2023, MASS Design, in collaboration with UT’s Contextualization & Commemoration Initiative (CCI) research team and the UT Landscaping team, finalized The Precursors – We are Texas East Mall Visioning Plan. This visioning plan highlights the narrative frameworks that inform the design concept for the commemoration, the ecology and geology of the commemoration site, and landscaping and infrastructure considerations for project construction.
Site Activations
To familiarize the campus community and visitors with the conceptualization and development of the East Mall commemorative project, several site activations were featured on the East Mall. Learn more about each site activation.
Early East Mall Design Renderings
As MASS Design continued to refine the design elements of the commemoration, various design iterations were presented to campus leadership and stakeholders for feedback.
Early East Mall Design Renderings
As MASS Design continued to refine the design elements of the commemoration, various design iterations were presented to campus leadership and stakeholders for feedback.
Early East Mall Design Renderings
As MASS Design continued to refine the design elements of the commemoration, various design iterations were presented to campus leadership and stakeholders for feedback.
Early East Mall Design Renderings
As MASS Design continued to refine the design elements of the commemoration, various design iterations were presented to campus leadership and stakeholders for feedback.
Early East Mall Design Renderings
As MASS Design continued to refine the design elements of the commemoration, various design iterations were presented to campus leadership and stakeholders for feedback.
Early East Mall Design Renderings
As MASS Design continued to refine the design elements of the commemoration, various design iterations were presented to campus leadership and stakeholders for feedback.
Early East Mall Design Renderings
As MASS Design continued to refine the design elements of the commemoration, various design iterations were presented to campus leadership and stakeholders for feedback.
Early East Mall Design Renderings
As MASS Design continued to refine the design elements of the commemoration, various design iterations were presented to campus leadership and stakeholders for feedback.
Early East Mall Design Renderings
As MASS Design continued to refine the design elements of the commemoration, various design iterations were presented to campus leadership and stakeholders for feedback.
2024 Precursors Annual Meeting
The Precursors 2024 Annual Meeting, held on September 27, commemorated the 60th Anniversary of Campus Housing Desegregation at the University of Texas at Austin. Explore a recording of the event.
2025 Precursors Annual Meeting
The Precursors 2024 Annual Meeting, held on September 12, honored the 75th Anniversary of Sweatt v. Painter, the landmark 1950 Supreme Court case, in which Heman Marion Sweatt sued The University of Texas to gain entry into the institution’s Law School. Decided unanimously by the U.S. Supreme Court, Sweatt v. Painter ended racial segregation at the UT Law School and Graduate School. Explore a recording of the event.
Demolition of the Old East Mall Fountain
On May 12, 2025, demolition of the old East Mall fountain began, marking the official start of construction of The Precursors – We are Texas East Mall commemorative project.
Current Construction Site
Construction is currently underway on The Precursors – We are Texas East Mall commemorative project. It is scheduled to be completed by Spring 2027.