Architectural Record – August 2019

(^60) ARCHITECTURAL RECORD AUGUST 2019 BUILDING TYPE STUDY LANDSCAPE & LEISURE
1 STUDIOE
2 VOLPEFAMILYSTUDIO
3 GORDONFAMILYSTUDIO
4 CINDY’SCAFÉ
5 COVEREDWALKWAY
6 REDOAKTREE
7 LOBBY
8 SERVERY
9 MECHANICALYARDS
10 SERVICEYARD
buildings do.” Says Reed Hilderbrand principal Adrian Nial, “We moved a
lot of earth, but the goal was to make it feel as if it had not been manipu­
lated—that it had always been that way.”
The studios within the complex are trapezoidal, their side walls splay­
ing away from the performing area to push the sound out into the room
and allow the abundant use of glass. Acoustics (on which WRA collabo­
rated with Kirkegaard Associates) and a desire for simple forms also drove
the team to use shed roofs, which enable the optimal ceiling height, with
more compression over the stage area. The volumes are scattered on the
site, rather than aligned. “This gives a sense that they aren’t quite per­
fect,” says Rawn, pointing to other structures here. “The intensity is in
their finely tuned acoustics.” While the complex stands out as a more
refined version of its predecessors, it complements them in its modesty.
The glazed lower ends of the studios—the larger two of which have
fully retractable glass walls—create a dialogue between outside and inside
and between the people occupying these spaces and the spontaneous
audience that can materialize from passersby. (On hot days, these air­
conditioned spaces will undoubtedly remain closed, however, challenging
the ideal of flooding the campus with sound.) The maple­lined interiors
are elegantly spare; the drama comes from the landscape, visible beyond
the performance areas. These connections to the larger world will surely
energize and inspire musicians and audiences accustomed to more typi­
cally cloistered facilities. Outside, the winding walkway links the studios
at their front ends, creating a community out of the discrete, intimate
spaces. The cafeteria is strictly utilitarian, though its glass front also slides
HITAHIGHNOTE The fronts of the Gordon Family Studio (above) and Studio E
(opposite) fully retract. A serpentine walk links the complex’s four buildings.
3
2
5
(^65)
1
7
9
(^109)
8
4
0 30 FT.
GROUND FLOOR PLAN 10 M.