“William Lowman Concert Hall is a counter-trend in an age where building costs escalate for cultural heritage / arts and civic projects. Museum buildings are becoming more expensive than the art in them: what is amazing about this project is how skills can come to bear with technology to reverse the cost trend.” - Nate Wittasek, ARUP, Project Code Consultant
The design for the William M. Lowman Concert Hall grew from the desire of the client to create a concert hall worthy of the talents of the students at the school, Idyllwild Arts—one of the country’s top three High Schools for the Arts. The student body draws from dozens of countries and students go on to every major orchestra, school and program in the world. Sander Architects proposed a site at the heart of campus to repurpose an unsightly parking lot, thereby creating a central campus quad and gathering space for the school community.
This project uses Sander Architects’ Hybrid Construction, a type of construction conceived by the firm that combines a prefabricated structural system with custom design. By using prefabricated metal frames to build the most expensive structural components at a fraction of typical costs, the client’s budget can go much further. Since the light-gauge steel building typically spans dozens or hundreds of feet, it was perfectly suited for this application. Other components, such as the building skin, finishes, and layout of spaces are custom designed.
The Concert Hall is sheathed in rusted Cor-Ten panels. The panels have an irregular topography derived from an abstracted musical phrase. This skin alludes to the music within the hall and to the landscape of folded rock and granite that makes up the surrounding mountains. It also blends harmoniously with other buildings on campus.
The entrance lobby to the hall has soaring ceilings from which hang dozens of white globe lights. They create a celestial effect and have a subtle dance as they move in cross breezes created when the sliding glass doors open the front corner of the space.
From the start, Sander Architects collaborated with the acousticians to maximize the acoustical brilliance of the hall. Architect Whitney Sander was inspired by the forest of trees surrounding campus and the manner in which they all reach for the sky, for the light, and yet each one grows slightly off vertical. He designed the 4 x 8 wood ribs, that arch up the sides and across the ceiling of the hall, to evoke these trees—and this erratic pattern was perfect to scatter sound and create cleaner acoustics for the performers.
The stage is able to accommodate a full symphony orchestra and chorus, as well as jazz concerts and chamber music performances. The hall seats 298 audience members and includes a lobby, restrooms, green room, mechanical space and musical instrument storage space.
Material Used :
1. Kawneer Company American Metal Door Co., Inc. – Storefront System
2. Fleetwood Windows and Doors – Sliding Doors
3. LBL Chandeliers – Green Room Feature Light
4. Alcon Lighting – Lobby Feature Lighting
5. Bentley Mills – Carpet – Kings Road Collection
6. DalTile Corporation – Bathroom Wall Tile
7. Takla – Bathroom Floor Tile
8. Aggregate Art – Bathroom Trough Sinks
