Thursday, July 21, 2011

A small jewel of the arts designed by Hodgetts+Fung


The Wild Beast at Cal Arts by Hodgetts+Fung in California
article by Clifford A. Pearson

      "Designing a small performing arts building that would work for both indoor recitals and outdoor concerts, Craig Hodgetts and Hsinming Fung drew inspiration from musical instruments. (...) a 3,400-square-foot facility at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in Valencia, California."
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     "The architects developed a lightweight monocoque roof that cantilevers 60 feet and curves in two directions. A large 30-by-16-by-3-foot block of concrete anchors the structure on the east and is buried out of sight. Hodgetts and Fung kept the roof profile as thin as possible (just 8 inches), rested it on a curved steel beam, and wrapped it around half-inch-thick frameless glass so the building appears to be all shell and no support.
     A pair of 23-by-16-foot fiber-cement doors slides open for outdoor performances when roughly 800 people can sit on the adjacent lawn and in the amphitheater. When the doors are closed, the building serves as a small recital and rehearsal space accommodating about 140 people on folding chairs. Making the building work for both modes was a big challenge, especially since its axis rotates 90 degrees when switching from one configuration to another."
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Full article and more photos in the digital edition of Architectural Record .

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