Richard Colburn, namesake of the Colburn School, facilitated the relocation of the school’s music and dance facilities from warehouse-like facilities on the University of Southern California campus to downtown Los Angeles, and in so doing created a vibrant, new, community-based school for the performing arts. At the time, downtown’s Grand Avenue was only just emerging as a cultural destination, with the Colburn School soon becoming one of its major anchors. The building’s design, therefore, had to address the contextual conditions of the day yet anticipate a burgeoning future. After several years of operations, the school returned to us to design facilities that would allow it to expand to become a college conservatory that provides student housing, a new 250-seat recital hall, a music library, educational spaces, and a variety of practice and rehearsal rooms. The two buildings are linked by an active courtyard and dining commons, creating a campus-like environment for both students and audience members.
This project was designed by Pfeiffer prior to joining Perkins Eastman.