The jury unanimously appreciated the elegant and sophisticated detailing of this project from the uniquely articulated exterior to the comfortable and thoughtful interiors. The scale and the proportion of the building’s exterior seemed appropriate for its surroundings, while the interior proportions were dynamic and responsive to the uses contained within. The architects did a nice job of creating a building that has a sense of consistency inside and out, and looks a wonderful place to enjoy music. Congratulations LPA.

Project Data:

Firm Name:              LPA, Inc.

Completion Date:     9/1/2017

Square Footage:      36420

Building Use:           Community College School of Music and Concert Hall

Location:                 Riverside, CA

Project Description:

Project Description
The Henry W. Coil, Sr. and Alice Edna Coil School for the Arts (CSA) is one of four buildings that make up the Centennial Plaza, an arts and culture hub located in the heart of Downtown Riverside. The CSA project moves the Riverside City College School of Music out of campus, placing the program on display and creating new synergies with the urban environment.
The LEED Silver Certified project includes a state-of-the-art recording studio, a choir room, a large orchestra/band room, a piano lab, a percussion room, 33 practice rooms, classrooms and faculty offices. The center piece is a 450-seat variable acoustics concert hall. The space itself was designed as a musical instrument, featuring deployable wall panels, mechanized drapery and a moveable stage cloud that can be configured to support any music genre in the curriculum.

Design goals
• Create a state-of-the-art facility for the instruction and performance of musical arts.
• Prioritize acoustics above all.
• Maximum flexibility to cover all music programs and genres.
• Provide social spaces for students and faculty since the building is away from campus.

Design
The team implemented an ‘informed design’ process to create a building that expresses its nature and responds directly to its context and acoustical requirements. Heavy concrete masonry was selected as the main building material for its acoustical and thermal mass properties in a desert environment. The use of phenolic wood panels for the main façade was inspired by the craftsmanship of wood instruments. The pattern on the wood paneling takes cues from the notation on sheet music and integrates slotted windows on the second floor.
The massing leverages a larger second floor program to create a deep overhang over the street edge, offering shelter from the desert sun and creating an exterior lobby for evening performances.
A variety of break spaces were included in the program for students and faculty to decompress and socialize. On the second level, social spaces and faculty offices were located to take advantage of the adjacent park views. A shaded courtyard provides an exterior landscaped area for students to use between classes. The intimate space was sheltered from the street to minimize noise interference and to provide a place for practice and small group informal concerts.

Context and community
Since its opening in 2016, the project has become a catalyst for redevelopment in the area, increasing student enrolment in the program, regularly attracting renowned musicians and generating revenue for the school. Most recently, the concert hall became the home for the Riverside Philharmonic Orchestra.

C.O.T.E. | Committee on the Environment

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