Chapman University
Pfieffer Partners Architects, 2015 – $64M
The Musco Center for the Arts will benefit both the campus and the surrounding community as a venue for performance, instruction and the arts. The 1,050-seat Musco will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for the Chapman orchestra and theater department, as well as amenities for other events and uses, including the city of Orange.
The new facility will enhance the Chapman experience on campus, particularly for students at the College of Performing Arts, build bridges to the vibrant Orange County arts community, and elevate the college to new heights and prominence. It will allow the university to present world-class performances of opera, musical theatre, symphony, theatre and dance.
The center will also fulfill a critical need for increased rehearsal and performance space on campus. Existing arts education programs will find renewed energy as the limitations imposed by the present facilities are lifted and new possibilities for creative expression surge.
Sonitus has designed a highly integrated and high-performance audio, video and broadcast system to support productions and events and share and collaborate with audiences and performers across the world. Sonitus worked with the university, the design team and the donor to create one of the most advanced systems in the region. The sound system is designed to compliment the high performance acoustics of the center. Video and Broadcast systems will allow for in-house and outside broadcast entities to capture and transmit events to a wider audience. High-definition, multi-camera systems also allow collaborative events utilizing Internet2 and other connection technologies.