Conrad Prebys Music Center, University of California, San Diego
Situated at the heart of the University of California at San Diego’s emerging “arts district,” the Conrad Prebys Music Center provides a central focus for music and arts for the campus and the region. The 84,000-square-foot facility is the new home of the UC San Diego Department of Music, which is international recognized for its forward-thinking education program and innovation in music composition and performance. The Conrad Prebys Music Center embodies the department’s ambitious, inventive culture of music. The facility features an intimate, 400-seat concert hall, one of the finniest of its size in the world, designed in collaboration with a world renowned acoustician. The asymmetrical space is formed by a series of intersecting triangular surfaces, integrating the architecture and acoustical geometries – making the science of sound a visual experience. The building is designed as a series of rectangular structures – concrete, metal and glass walled enclosures alternation with open courtyards – inside a concrete framework. It also reflects the material palette of the nearby campus buildings. The interior lobby spaces are extended to outdoor courtyards around the facility including courtyards with terrace seating provide gathering space for outdoor performance events. A vital part of the campus arts district, the center also connects with the rest of the campus through public spaces and walkways that form a neighborhood network.
