The building will house the faculties of theater, music, ballet, radio and electronic media. The leading troupes and orchestras of the region will also be able to use the auditoriums available there. A recognizable element of its main façade will be the “wave of activity” - a series of glazed public spaces connected by ramps. It will emphasize the openness and interconnectedness of all zones and premises of the building, which will appear on the edge of the university campus and become its "face" from the city side.
Around the three halls - the Big for 1200 seats, the rehearsal room for 300 spectators, and the Small for 450 - and the inner courtyards, all other spaces of the building are organized - studios, workshops, auditoriums, including a flow room for 103 students. In addition, a variety of public areas are envisaged, which should stimulate cooperation between students of different specializations, encourage their communication with teachers, create a sense of community with the audience attending performances and concerts.
The university, considered one of the pioneers in connecting the performing, visual and media arts into a coherent system, plans to strengthen its achievements with a modern new building. Despite the difficult financial situation in the country in general and in the state of California in particular, construction is planned to begin next year. The budget of the building is more than $ 250 million, the area is 22.5 thousand m2. According to the management of the university, now is a very favorable time for such an enterprise: due to low construction activity, prices for materials and work are low, so it is not difficult to find investors. 10 million of this amount was donated to the university by its graduate, Manni Mashuf, an Iranian-born entrepreneur, creator of the popular US women's clothing brand Bebe. The center will be named in his honor.
N. F.
