The MACC is the only building in the United States designed by noted Mexican modernist Teodoro González de León. The influence of the architect's apprenticeship in Le Corbusier's studio in the late 1940s is apparent in its composition of shapes overlaid with a heavy dose of Mexican modernist vocabulary such as the sunscreens and outdoor spaces. The center includes exhibition space, classrooms, and a plaza for performances. Phases two and three include two performing arts theaters.