Research | Case Studies

Pasadena City College, Center for the Arts

Submitted by Anonymous on

Pasadena, California
Highlights: 
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; and Rehearsal spaces
The Program also includes: 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
Certified LEED Gold facility
Summary: 

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. 

https://issuu.com/acmartin/docs/pcc_center_for_the_arts_020416_no_c