Set to open in March, Emerson College's new satellite campus in L.A. will house students in twin ten-story volumes, and learn them a few things in a bunch of glassy classrooms sandwiched in the middle. Since 1986, Emerson students engaged in the college's semester-long, internship-based L.A. program have had to make do with a rental space in Burbank, and soon, they'll have a shiny new Thom Mayne-designed campus, akin to the one for NYC's Cooper Union (the resemblance is uncanny), and eventually, Cornell's tech campus on Roosevelt Island. The project, which got topped out last July, will situate students from Emerson's well-known film, TV, and communications programs right on Sunset Boulevard, the supposed center of the entertainment industry.
Over 200 undergraduate students from the Boston-based college will be housed in the new building, which is set to more than double the size that its L.A. program formerly allowed. Aside from classrooms, the curving central sections contains administrative facilities, and are connected to the frame by a series of bridges and terraces.
In a press release, Mayne said the building was "designed to expand the interactive, social aspect of education," explaining that his firm, the L.A.-based Morphosis Architects, " focused on creating with the broader community in mind - both in terms of public space and sustainable design." Meanwhile, Emerson alumn Denis Leary had a much simpler take on things: "This sucks, it's so great. I wish I went to school here now." Head over to Curbed LA for a virtual tour.
· Emerson College campus by Morphosis places curvy classrooms within a hollow frame [Dezeen]
· Emerson College's Hollywood Starchitecture Campus Tops Out [Curbed LA]
· Take a Virtual Tour Through Emerson's Awesome New Campus [Curbed LA]
· All Thom Mayne coverage [Curbed LA; Curbed NY; Curbed SF]