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Photo Credit: Joshua White/JWPictures.com

client:    ArtCenter College of Design

 

type:    educational / cultural / movie theater / auditorium

 

location:    Pasadena, California

 

size:    3,300 sq ft

 

status:    scheduled to open spring 2022

 

team:    darin johnstone, sandra hutchings, howard chen, sean davis, rob ettenger, dennis lee, matt liese, sohail gill

 

consultants:    john a. martin & associates, novus design studio, simpson gumpertz & heger, kgm lighting, antonio acoustics, auerbach pollock friedlander, mission audio visual

 

project manager:    searock stafford cm

 

general contractor:    halsted construction

 

darin johnstone architects

ArtCenter Ahmanson Auditorium

Spring 2022

 

The Ahmanson Auditorium renovation project is in the iconic Craig Ellwood designed ArtCenter ‘bridge’ building completed in 1977. DJA was invited to reimagine the Ahmanson Auditorium renovation to align with contemporary notions of procession, access, sound, and vision.  After the visual impact of arriving at the iconic bridge and passing under it, the ravine is on the left and the Ahmanson Auditorium lobby is inside the building on the right. DJA envisioned this view of the lobby as an opportunity to signify arrival. Inside the lobby space simple design elements are used to create a threshold and reinforce the space as a special place. The lobby features a historic steel stair connecting level one and level two, and a stunning original Keith Haring mural can be seen through the stair opening from below. The auditorium sound and light locks, ordinarily banal and dreary, were designed as chromatic thresholds, washed in ArtCenter orange, to establish a portal into a contemporary experience. Once inside, the side walls of the auditorium are lined with color gradient sound absorbing ‘dots’. These ‘dot walls’ consist of over five thousand 8” diameter Armstrong tectum ‘dots’ transitioning from ArtCenter orange at the back of the house to black at the front. A constellation of house lights, designed to rhyme with the dot walls, float above the house. The overall dot field intends to create a more ephemeral experience in dialogue with the linear modernist language of the building. The overall aesthetic goal was to establish an iconography to resonate with the clarity of the context and the Art Center ethos.

 

According to ArtCenter, ‘The Impetus for the project, tied to the 30 year anniversary of the ADA legislation in 2020 and a commitment to DEI drove a complete reconfiguration of the auditorium.’ The existing auditorium and projection room were not accessible. To achieve full access, a new auditorium house floor was constructed to float above the existing. The new version of the auditorium is fully accessible. There is ADA seating at the front of the house and the cross isle, while the upper tier is stacked to optimize viewing angles. There is a level presenter area at the front of the house and the projection room is now accessible via lift.

 

In the seats, the Ahmanson Auditorium is largely used for screening movies and DJA was tasked with forming a team to create a premier cinematic experience, as well as addressing a range of educational functions like lectures, direct instruction, and symposia. In the seats, the architecture fades to black so the user can be immersed in sound and vision.

 

 

 

ArtCenter Ahmanson Auditorium

Spring 2022

The Ahmanson Auditorium renovation project is in the iconic Craig Ellwood designed ArtCenter ‘bridge’ building completed in 1977. DJA was invited to reimagine the Ahmanson Auditorium renovation to align with contemporary notions of procession, access, sound, and vision.  After the visual impact of arriving at the iconic bridge and passing under it, the ravine is on the left and the Ahmanson Auditorium lobby is inside the building on the right. DJA envisioned this view of the lobby as an opportunity to signify arrival. Inside the lobby space simple design elements are used to create a threshold and reinforce the space as a special place. The lobby features a historic steel stair connecting level one and level two, and a stunning original Keith Haring mural can be seen through the stair opening from below. The auditorium sound and light locks, ordinarily banal and dreary, were designed as chromatic thresholds, washed in ArtCenter orange, to establish a portal into a contemporary experience. Once inside, the side walls of the auditorium are lined with color gradient sound absorbing ‘dots’. These ‘dot walls’ consist of over five thousand 8” diameter Armstrong tectum ‘dots’ transitioning from ArtCenter orange at the back of the house to black at the front. A constellation of house lights, designed to rhyme with the dot walls, float above the house. The overall dot field intends to create a more ephemeral experience in dialogue with the linear modernist language of the building. The overall aesthetic goal was to establish an iconography to resonate with the clarity of the context and the Art Center ethos.

 

According to ArtCenter, ‘The Impetus for the project, tied to the 30 year anniversary of the ADA legislation in 2020 and a commitment to DEI drove a complete reconfiguration of the auditorium.’ The existing auditorium and projection room were not accessible. To achieve full access, a new auditorium house floor was constructed to float above the existing. The new version of the auditorium is fully accessible. There is ADA seating at the front of the house and the cross isle, while the upper tier is stacked to optimize viewing angles. There is a level presenter area at the front of the house and the projection room is now accessible via lift.

 

In the seats, the Ahmanson Auditorium is largely used for screening movies and DJA was tasked with forming a team to create a premier cinematic experience, as well as addressing a range of educational functions like lectures, direct instruction, and symposia. In the seats, the architecture fades to black so the user can be immersed in sound and vision.

client:  art center college of design

 

type:    educational / cultural / movie theater / auditorium

 

location:    Pasadena, California

 

size:    3,300 sq ft

 

status:    scheduled to open spring 2022

 

team:    darin johnstone, sandra hutchings, howard chen, sean davis, rob ettenger, dennis lee, matt liese, sohail gill

 

consultants:    john a. martin & associates, novus design studio, simpson gumpertz & heger, kgm lighting, antonio acoustics, auerbach pollock friedlander, mission audio visual

 

project manager:    searock stafford cm

 

general contractor:    halsted construction

 

darin johnstone architects

Photo Credit: Joshua White/JWPictures.com

Photo Credit: Joshua White/JWPictures.com

ArtCenter 1111 Level 4

Bruce Heavin and Lynda Weinman

Alumni Center

October 2018

The Bruce Heavin and Lynda Weinman Alumni Center is designed to span across the middle of the fourth level of ArtCenter’s 1111 South Arroyo parkway building. Situated between views of the city to the east and views of the evolving south campus to the west the new center features a dedicated alumni gallery, conference center and lounge. The spaces, physically and visually connected to the elevator lobby, are flexibly designed to accommodate multiple types of alumni events. The center itself locates each Alum within the campus and within their larger network of peers.

 

In the Alumni Gallery space a 25’ x 8’ digital touch screen is programmed to contain an interactive virtual alumni gallery encompassing work of distinguished Alumni through the decades and around the globe. The glass curtain wall that separates the conference center and lounge from the elevator lobby has a translucent color screened film with the Alumni Center signage and the iconic ArtCenter ‘dot’. The space also features lighting designed by ArtCenter Alum Scott Yu of Vode Lighting, and furniture designed by ArtCenter Alum Nolen Niu.

 

ArtCenter College of Design quote:

‘The Bruce Heavin and Lynda Weinman Alumni Center provides the College’s global alumni network of 20,000 artists and designers a dedicated gallery, lounge and conference room to convene when they return to campus. Whether you’re visiting to participate in an AlumNetwork panel discussion, FullCircle event, Storyboard night, Supper Club or introducing potential partners to the College, the Alumni Center will serve as an important programmatic gathering space—not to mention a constant source of inspiration.’

client:  art center college of design

 

type:  educational

 

location:  pasadena, ca

 

size:  5,000 sq ft

 

status:  built

 

team:  darin johnstone, sandra hutchings, rob ettenger, matt liese, dennis lee, deysi blanco, adam fujioka, mitchel bennett

 

consultants:  john a. martin and associates, turpin & rattan engineering, kaplan gehring mccarroll architectural lighting, antonio acoustics, sunwest electric inc.

 

interaction design (alumni gallery):  downstream

 

project manager:  gkk works

 

general contractor:  halsted construction

 

photo credit:  joshua white / jwpictures.com

 

darin johnstone architects