*WITH GENSLER
UCLA Marion Anderson Hall*
Location :
Los Angeles, CA
Project Size :
60,000 sf
Status :
Completed 2019
Designed as an addition to the University of California, Los Angeles’ Anderson Business School, this project was a pleasure for Darlene as UCLA is her alma mater. As a Senior Designer with Gensler, she and her group joined forces with Pei Cobb Freed & Partners (PCF-P) to create a state-of-the-art project.
PCF-P’s new brick & buff building blends well with the Anderson campus and the adjacent historic buildings iconic to UCLA. Gensler’s contemporary interior dovetails with the business school’s progressive curriculum. Intending to provide a new educational atmosphere, this paradigm provides technologically enhanced space for flexible learning, group study, and networking. This addition to the Anderson campus supports both current and evolving models for business education, making it a sought-after program.
A 5-story atrium allows visual connection throughout. Each floor shifts programmatically from one level to the next, supporting areas for public and private classroom activity. This unique design configuration required rigorous coordination between team members and technical consultants. For the atrium space, Darlene unified the 4 levels with an architectural gesture, supplying a cohesive language for the overall public area environment.
Finish selections were chosen to embrace a modern language reflective of the modern homes in the hills of Westwood. Materials were chosen to enhance the interior architecture while establishing a unified language supporting intuitive way finding. Upon arrival, the main atrium space is impressive and, during the day, filled with natural light. Custom acoustical metal panels along the walls and ceilings form the architectural moment. These panels transition in opacity at each level depending on the designated program. The gesture expressed with clear glass exposes the “Grand Salon” at the highest floor level, making it a showcase event space. It is within this area the custom fabricated cloud-like wood ceiling makes a statement. As the panels descend from the upper level to the first floor, they become less transparent, wrapping the many private learning spaces.
In the classrooms and auditorium, warm wood signifies the entry, while a black broadloom carpet contrasts with white walls. The auditorium ceilings conceal equipment with an artistically folded framework, making them identifiable and unique to the other spaces.
