Candler Facilities

Candler School of Theology Facilities

Candler School of Theology's facilities include the Rita Ann Rollins Building (Phase I), the Candler School of Theology Building (Phase II), the Theology Plaza, Rudolph Courtyard and Cannon Chapel. The completion of Phase II in 2014 marked the culmination of a decade-long initiative to provide the school with a state-of-the-art facility to support teaching, research, community life and spiritual formation. Together, the Rita Anne Rollins Building and the Candler School of Theology Building encompass 128,600 square feet, the largest space the school has enjoyed in its 100-year history. Check the building hours.

Rita Anne Rollins Building (Phase I)

Completed in 2008, the 65,000-square-foot Rita Anne Rollins Building houses Candler School of Theology classrooms, administrative and faculty offices, community gathering spaces, and Emory’s Center for Ethics. The building supports SMART technology and reflects Emory’s architectural style and its commitment to sustainability, featuring Italianate design with marble and stucco exteriors and a clay tile roof, as well as LEED silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

In 2013, the building was named in memory of the late Rita Anne Rollins, in recognition of the support of the O. Wayne Rollins Foundation.

The building is located at 1531 Dickey Drive.

Candler School of Theology Building (Phase II)

Candler’s Phase II building project is connected to the Rita Anne Rollins Building. Completed in August 2014, the building includes a new home for Pitts Theology Library, an exhibition hall, an 80-seat lecture hall, the Wesley Teaching Chapel, group study rooms, a glassed-in atrium, an outdoor plaza and office space for Candler’s IT staff and Pitts Library staff. Like the Rita Anne Rollins Building, the building supports wireless technology and reflects Emory's iconic architectural style and its commitment to sustainability, with LEED silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Pitts Theology Library

An Emory or other photo I.D. is required for admittance into the library, via the entrance on the second floor. The library features:

• A circulation desk, where patrons can: check out and return books, pick up holds and interlibrary loans; check out laptops, video camera and technology peripherals; check out books placed on course reserves by the faculty and check out access cards for study rooms.
• Information commons with 18 computers for general academic use, six of which are equipped with specialized Biblical exegesis software, and two that have advanced audio, video and photo-editing software.
• High-density shelving for the library’s 640,000 volumes, including the entire circulating book collection, housed on the first floor.
• Seven small group study rooms, two large rooms, and hoc media stations on the allow groups to plug in laptops or tablets so they can collaborate or present on LCD display panels. The study rooms require a reservation and can be booked by Emory patrons up to seven days in advance, for up to three hours per day. Reservations are made through OpenRoom tool on the Pitts website.
• Dedicated space on the fourth floor for 130,000-plus items designated as special collections, including nearly 3,000 feet of archival materials. The Special Collections reading room provides researchers access to specials collection and archive materials.
• A research carrel room reserved for patrons working on longer-term research projects, including Candler students working on independent projects and theses and other Emory doctoral students of visiting faculty working with Pitts’ collections. Reservations are granted for semester- and year-long assignments, requested through an online form on the Pitts website.

Exhibition Hall

The 1,200 square foot exhibition hall is open to the public and showcases materials housed in Pitts’ special collections and archives.

The exhibition hall is on the third floor, accessed through the library.

Lecture Hall

Adjacent to the exhibition hall is the 80-seat lecture hall for special events and lectures, which looks out over Rudolph Courtyard.

The lecture hall is on the third floor.

Wesley Teaching Chapel

The Wesley Teaching Chapel is designed for teaching and practicing the art of preaching in a realistic setting. Video recording capabilities allow students to analyze their work record sermons for the boards of ministry. The space is also used for morning and evening prayer.

The teaching chapel is on the second floor.

Atrium and Plaza

The first and second floor lobbies, third floor atrium and plaza provide space for students, faculty, staff and visitors to gather, study or hold events.

Take a virtual tour of the new building.

Cannon Chapel

Cannon Chapel is named for William R. Cannon, who was dean of Candler School of Theology and later a bishop of the United Methodist Church. It was designed by internationally acclaimed architect Paul Rudolph, son of one of Candler School of Theology's first graduates. Ground was broken for the chapel on August 30, 1979, by President Jimmy Carter. The building was consecrated on September 30, 1981.

While Cannon Chapel houses the Candler School of Theology Office of Worship and provides Candler faculty and students with spaces for worship and spiritual formation activities, the building also includes Emory University's Office of Spiritual and Religious Life, meeting spaces and academic classrooms, and hosts worship services and spiritual life events for a range of religious groups.

Cannon Chapel is located at 515 S. Kilgo Circle, connected to the Candler School of Theology buildings by Rudolph Courtyard.