A Peek Inside Colburn School

Eric Richardson

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — On Saturday the Colburn School will be having its first move-in day. For the first time in its fifty-seven year history, the school will be welcoming students to on-campus housing as it christens 326,000 square feet of new space on Bunker Hill.

Yesterday I met up with Barbara Vyden, Colburn's Director of Development, to get a look around the new space. In three years of living Downtown it marked the first time I'd set foot in the school, a sad admission given the more than one hundred public performances put on each year.

The Colburn School started in 1950, but didn't move into the Downtown core until its Grand Avenue building was opened in 1998. Along with the programs it provides its full-time students, the school offers a range of classes that age in age from one to adult.

While Colburn's event calendar may be empty at the moment, trust that to be just the transition of beginning a new year. In the next few weeks the school will come back to life and begin another year of providing Downtown residents with another nearby space to expand their cultural horizons.

Eric Richardson

The finished courtyard will connect into a similar space running behind MOCA and into California Plaza.

Eric Richardson

A new cafe off of the courtyard between the two buildings will be open to the public. While Colburn students receive free tuition, room and board, the public will have to pay for its meals.

Eric Richardson

The serving area of the new cafe.

Eric Richardson

An architectural juxtaposition as the mid-century studio from Jascha Heifetz' Beverly Hills home has been placed inside the Grand avenue building.

Eric Richardson

Seats await their unveiling in a new 200-seat performance space, part of the Olive street building.

Eric Richardson

The courtyard between the two buildings brings together a range of materials, and provides outdoor gathering space.

Eric Richardson

Student housing is set up as suites, with common living areas connecting four or five bedrooms.

Eric Richardson

Design touches like the decorative flooring seen here at a suite entrance set these apart from the average dorms.