From the swooping roof form to the geode-themed theater interior, the new performing arts center at Cerritos Community College elevates performance on campus and in the community. The design of the facility balances teaching and learning experiences for actors and musicians with skill-building labs and studios for students pursuing degrees and certificates in technical theater, commercial music, and performance. Professional-level facilities afford students real-world experience in a thoughtfully designed  building. The new performing arts center goes beyond meeting the requirements of an ethnically and socio-economically diverse student body, offering accessibility for programs that serve the community’s older adult, non-traditional, and second-career students. The building’s program, organized into three masses, provides intuitive navigation through its daylit north-south corridors. The bent forms of the buildings flanking the main venue define outdoor performance areas to the north and west, and a scene-shop yard to the east. The roof form bends up to capture the volume of the fly tower, and extends to shield the lobby and forecourt, a dramatic gesture that contributes to the campus-defining appearance of the new center.

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