Conrad Prebys Music Center

University of California, San Diego

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Situated within the active campus core and its Arts District, the design advances the goals of the campus “neighborhood plan” by integrating public space, campus circulation, and landscape with the school’s highly interactive social dynamic. Courtyards and arcades capitalize on the mild climate.

The interior of the 400-seat concert hall is an asymmetrical system of triangular surfaces, carefully calibrated in collaboration with renowned acoustician Dr. Cyril Harris at every angle to optimize acoustical performance. The distinctive geometric form was generated from iterative experimentation and analysis that melds architecture, technical building systems and the science of sound in an integrated design process. The result is an extremely intimate hall that embodies the program’s ambitious, innovative culture of music.

A 150-seat experimental lab is focused on “virtual” electronic acoustics, where musicians employ sophisticated audio systems and manipulate the sound environment to create their own sonic architecture. Other rehearsal and ensemble halls are designed with adjustable acoustics to accommodate a wide range of performance types, and the facility features the newest technologies in student recording suites, computer music labs, practice rooms, and faculty studios.

Location

La Jolla, California

Status

Completed 2009

Size

85,500 sf

Associate Architect

Mathes Brierre Architects

LMN Architects