Conrad Prebys Concert Hall
- Project Address: UCSD Campus (across from Gilman Parking Structure)
- Project Owner/ Developer: UC SAN DIEGO
- Owner Contact Name/ Email: Dirk Sutro/Dept of Music/dsutro@ucsd.edu
- Project Architect/ Designer: LMN Architects + Cyril Harris
UCSD Department of Music's new Conrad Prebys Concert Hall opened in May 2009 and gives San Diego one of the finest small concert halls in the world--a mix of astounding acoustics and Picasso-like angular forms. The hall was designed by Mark Reddington of LMN Architects (Seattle) with renowned acoustician Cyril Harris. Harris is now in his nineties and is a world-renowned innovator in concert hall acoustical design. Over the years his projects have included Avery Fisher Hall, the Metropolitan Opera House, Minneapolis Symphony Hall, and Seattle's Benaroya Hall. Music critics including the Union-Tribune's George Varga have praised Conrad Prebys Concert Hall for its superb acoustics. The new concert hall (and Conrad Prebys Music Center) are a part of UCSD's emerging urban district at the heart of campus. The concert hall is also noteworthy because Harris says it is his last project, and he also says it is his best--the summation of all he has learned in the course of 50 years of concert hall design. The Conrad Prebys Music Center and Conrad Prebys Concert Hall are named for the San Diego developer who contributed $6 million to name the center, and another $3 million to name the hall. There is much more info about the concert hall and music center here:http://musicweb.ucsd.edu/about/about-pages.php?i=405
Project Awarded
The new concert and office venue features state-of-the-art teaching, rehearsal, practice and recording studios, and world-class performance spaces. The intimate concert hall's stunning interior is an asymmetrical system of triangular wood and plaster surfaces that fold around the room to richly diffuse sound throughout the space. The distinctive geometric form was generated from a melding of architecture, technical building systems and the science of sound.These pragmatic requirements were transformed into an extraordinary visual experience. Built of cast-in-place concrete with open areas on various levels offering expansive views, the jury was struck by its classic lines and timeless quality. The simplicity of the exterior is a complete contrast to the experience that awaits the audience inside. “It is a jewel box”, exclaimed a jury member. As the Music department Chair stated, “Great spaces inspire great music”, the jury agreed in a resounding chorus.