The Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center serves as the centerpiece of the newly created USC School of Dance. While highly contemporary in its interiors, the exterior façade reflects the historical development of the USC campus, and it adheres to the university’s master plan design guidelines for creating a Collegiate Gothic environment. The interiors aim to give form to the world of dance; they embrace the notions of dynamic and fluid movement in a fixed, permanent installation while referencing dancers’ endurance, strength, intensity, and focus; and they inform the ways dancers interact with, perceive, and are inspired by interior space. Jewel tones—ruby, amethyst, amber, sapphire and turquoise—animate the five instructional spaces, inject them with vitality, and communicate empowerment and inspiration. Outside, the building’s L-shaped configuration creates an exterior courtyard that encourages socialization and interaction.

This project was master planned and designed by Pfeiffer prior to joining Perkins Eastman.