Pomona College will begin construction this fall on a Studio Art Center on the east end of campus. Designed to reflect to a more modern, integrated approach to the arts and provide space for interdisciplinary teaching, the 36,000-square- foot center will replace the venerable 100-year-old Rembrandt Hall, which will be repurposed for another use.
Gifts of $500,000 from the Ahmanson Foundation, $500,000 from Trustee Bernard Chan ’88 and $100,000 from the Hearst Foundations will be used toward construction of the center, which is scheduled to be completed in spring 2014 at an estimated cost of $29 million. The planning and design of the building was made possible by an earlier gift from the estate of Pamela Creighton ’79. The College is seeking a naming gift for the center, as well as funding for additional spaces and other support.
Located north of Seaver Theatre and near the Wash, the new building will more than double the space available for studio arts. Designed by Culver City-based wHY Architecture, it will surround a central courtyard and feature studios for painting, drawing, sculpture, digital arts and photography, as well as classrooms, a gallery and cutting-edge facilities for printing, fabrication and digital output.
Sustainability will be another key feature, with the College setting a goal of building to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold standards. The design incorporates solar photovoltaics and hot water heaters, daylight harvesting and low-volume lighting. Even the location of the building on an existing parking lot reflects the College’s goal of preserving green space.
With its courtyard, performance spaces and student lounge, planners hope the Studio Art Center will draw students from Pomona and the other Claremont Colleges, making the arts a more visible part of campus life.