Thanks to an $18 million gift from media mogul Sumner M. Redstone (Hon.’94) and other generous donations, next year’s incoming class of law students will get to break in a brand-spanking-new addition to the existing Law Tower.

The project, currently under way, will result in a 93,000-square-foot, 5-story structure, which will house most of the Law School’s new high-tech classrooms. The current 18-story building, built in the Brutalist style, has suffered space constraints as the program has grown and the field changed.

“The study that takes place within its walls is enormous,” says Redstone, a former School of Law faculty member. “It’s my hope that this beautiful building will serve students for many years to come.”

An expansive new entrance will feature a glass-enclosed atrium to welcome visitors and serve as the heart and social hub of the complex. Student locker facilities, lounges, a small dining facility, and other student function and informal meeting spaces will be located throughout.

School of Law Dean Maureen O’Rourke says Redstone’s gift is “a tremendous vote of confidence in the future of legal education at Boston University School of Law.”