Conrad Prebys Music Center
University of California, San Diego

Location

La Jolla, California

Owner

University of California, San Diego

Collaborators +

Project Size

85,000 square feet

Seating Capacity

400 concert hall / 150 recital hall / 200 experimental

Project Status

Completed

Services

Architecture, Interior Design

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.

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.

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.