The building’s cast-in-place architectural concrete frame has stainless steel infill panels and stainless steel vaulted roofs which reflect the dynamic and changing sky, a dominant element in the Southern California landscape.
Taper Courtyard is used year round for all kinds of gatherings and events, becoming an outdoor living room for the institution.
A rich and diverse Mediterranean landscape, including an olive grove, surrounds the more public areas of the campus and provides visitors with a unique space to experience the close relationship of nature and culture in harmony.
The courtyards and gardens open to views of the hills beyond and further serve to integrate the building with the natural beauty of the site.
Ahmanson Hall is fully convertible and can be framed as a garden pavilion, an open, transparent, sky-lit space surrounded by gardens, ideal for banquets, dinners, and celebrations. It can also be transformed into an amphitheatre, with steeply raked seating for lectures, theatre and music.
The built and natural environments blend together, buffered by a set of open courtyards that provide spaces for quiet contemplation and grand celebrations.
Set in the foothills between the San Fernando Valley and the city of Los Angeles, the specific site constraints led to the composition of a village of pavilions, woven one to the next. At its heart, the Skirball is founded on the notion of the paradise garden, of sacred place, of respect for humanity and diversity in all its manifestations.
The development has been realized in several phases over a 30 year period working in collaboration with the Skirball Cultural Center founder, Dr. Uri Herscher, and his staff to realize the vision of a true gathering place for the community. The Center features a museum of Jewish-American experience, galleries for changing exhibitions, a conference and educational center, a 350-seat auditorium, and Ahmanson Hall (a multipurpose auditorium). The courtyards connect to a sculpture garden located between the building and the hills, providing a contemplative transition zone between the natural and built environment.
Site plan
Aerial view of the center and its gardens.
The architecture seamlessly integrates into landscape, creating a wide range of spaces to be activated by cultural activities.
The network of interlocking indoor and outdoor spaces support a wide range of activity, from exhibitions, concerts and family festivals to classes, performances and conferences.
Throughout the landscape, a series of installations and artworks encourage exploration and activity.
Moshe Safdie shares the founding principles of the Skirball and how the center has grown into a vital community and cultural center.
from CCNewspaper.com
from Facebook: SkirballCulturalCenter
Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects, Noah's Ark Exhibit from Instagram: littlenorthernlights
from linandjirsa.com
from Instagram: skirball_la
On Set for HBO's Westworld from Seeing-stars.com
from Instagram: skirball_la
from The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
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