Pasadena City College, Center for the Arts

Pasadena City College

CENTER for the ARTS [ PASADENA, CA ]

PROJECT

Center for the Arts Pasadena City College LOCATION

Pasadena, CA

The Center of Arts at Pasadena City College brings together the disciplines of art and music in one facility. The goal was to create an environment that would inspire creativity, challenge the imagination, and encourage collaboration between the visual artists and musicians while carving out a distinctive home for both. Through the design process the team discovered the unique needs of these two departments and the potential to capitalize on the inherent artistic connections that would lead to ‘creative collisions’. Complex programmatic issues were resolved while introducing a dynamic collage of forms, materials, and colors that fits seamlessly into the campus.

The three-story, 87,00 SF building program includes a 94-seat lecture hall, 1,200 SF gallery space, art labs and studios, 88-seat Little Theater, 225-seat recital hall, music classrooms, rehearsal spaces, and studio/labs for jewelry, photography, cinema, drawing, painting, digital, printmaking and sculpture. Due to the cross-disciplinary functions of the building and programmed space, careful consideration was given to acoustical treatment and separation.

Entrance at “Music Plaza”.

CAMPUS CONTEXT The Center for the Arts replaces an existing long linear building located at the center of campus. Along the southern edge of the building an enhanced landscaped pedestrian connector replaces a service drive, creating a significant link across campus. At the north is a courtyard designed as gathering space for students with direct access from the main entry plaza and several studios, as well as the black box studio. Entry plazas, located at the East and West, clearly identify unique entries to the building and provide well-defined space for campus events.

ORGANIZATION A reasonable organizational strategy for the Center for the Arts would be to separate the “messy” art spaces from the “noisy” music spaces. The Center for the Arts deliberately mixes the uses to encourage synergies inherent across the disciplines. The intent to create an active, exciting environment was achieved through alternating music spaces with art spaces so—as one moves through the building—rehearsals, practicing and the making of art can all be viewed simultaneously.

Breakdown of Space by Program

Basement Floor Plan

First Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan

Third Floor Plan

Openings in the floors/ceilings throughout the corridors connect the building vertically and allow daylight to penetrate to the first level via skylights located on the roof. Fire-rated glass is introduced at the third floor to maintain fire code.

Glass Floor

Natural Light

Aerial View: East

OUTDOOR LOBBY The Music Plaza side of the building is composed as a gateway. The recital hall and the black box theater are joined by a soaring canopy to create an inviting entry and outdoor lobby. The program didn’t allow for an indoor lobby or gathering space, so this creates a useful area for intermissions or other events and announces the entry to the building in a significant manner.

Recital Hall

Recital Hall

RECITAL HALL The Recital Hall can seat over 200 and is designed as a flexible teaching and performance space, outfitted with the most advanced lighting and acoustical features.

Bamboo wood panels provide warmth and beauty and create a feeling of intimacy while honoring the school’s commitment to sustainability.

Wood grilles screen the retractable acoustical fabric behind, and are designed to visibly integrate into the overall design of the hall. A carefully designed glass wall, facing the entry plaza, provides views out while balancing acoustic considerations.

The recital hall’s exterior, composed of high-pressure, wood-look compact laminate planks, recalls the gentle curve and color of a cello or violin and honors its place in the sculpture garden.

BLACK BOX THEATER The black box theater is designed to support both theater productions, and classroom activities. The catwalk area is a continuous screen, so students can access lighting at any point without compromising their safety. The space is equipped with cutting-edge sound boards and lighting systems, enabling students to hone their craft.

Aerial View: West Plaza

ART ENTRY The Art entry is defined by a gallery and glass display box with a terrace above, providing space for faculty and students to share their work with the community.

PAINTING + DRAWING STUDIOS The painting and drawing studios on the third floor take advantage of the north-facing orientation, with glass starting at floor level and wrapping up and into the sloped ceiling. Large roll-up doors can be opened, allowing the classes to spill outside to the terraces located between the studios.

“MAIN STREET” Connecting the entry plazas is “Main Street” where the music and art studios are deliberately mixed in their placement with the intent to create an active, music-filled interior environment that celebrates both disciplines.

The brightly colored walls, abundant natural light, and extensive glazing creates an atmosphere that encourages and honors creativity. Walls are angled in unexpected ways that lend to the active quality of the space and bright colors modulate from light to dark along the corridor to spark the imagination and pay homage to a world where color and exploration is encouraged.

ACTIVITY

+ INTERACTION + COLLABORATION

Studios and classrooms feature generous windows along the ‘Main Street’, providing views for passersby of jewelry being fabricated, music rehearsals taking place, and graphic design students generating ideas for their assignments. The corridors are designed to be full of activity and to provide places for students to meet casually outside of the studios and hang out, encouraging cross-disciplinary interaction and collaboration. Customdesigned wood and glass display cases line the halls, underscoring the idea that art and music have great value and should be displayed with pride.

Sustainable Strategies

Pasadena City College

Center for the Arts Client Size Completion Location Key Points

Pasadena City College 87,000 SF 2013 Pasadena, CA • Brings together the disciplines of art and music into one facility, the goal being to create an environment that inspires creativity and challenges the imagination.

• The three-story, 87,00 SF building program includes:

-

94-seat lecture hall 225-seat recital hall 88-seat Little Theater 1,200 SF of gallery space Music classrooms Rehearsal spaces Art labs and studios (jewelry, photography, cinema, drawing, painting, digital, printmaking and sculpture)

• Features two important community gathering spaces at each end.

• Connecting the two entries is an interior “street” where the music and art studios are deliberately mixed in their placement with the intent to create an active, music-filled interior environment that celebrates both disciplines.

• Corridors are designed to be active and provide places for students to hang out and meet casually outside of the studios.

• Openings in the floors/ceilings throughout the corridors connect the building vertically and allow daylight to penetrate to the first level via skylights located on the roof.

• “Green” project components include: water-efficient landscaping, high-efficiency plumbing fixtures (46% annual potable water savings), 41% recycled and 17% regional building materials, light-colored concrete in hardscape areas to reduce heat island effect, and individual lighting controls.

• Certified LEED Gold facility

Awards

• The Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Award, 2015 • AIA/San Fernando Valley Design Excellence Citation Award, 2014 • AIA Long Beach Merit Award, Interiors, 2015