Los Angeles’ newest achievement is the Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center, a dance, music, and teaching venue. 

Located in Cheviot Hills and having been completed within the last year, this 300-seat center wasn’t able to be used due to COVID-19. 

“The project’s design was conceived by AUX Architecture,” said the L.A. Times. 

The company took a 1950s modernist building and expanded it to become this 10,550 square feet theater.

“The main goal was to preserve as much of the existing structure as possible, because of the value of the large space, while transforming it into something new, visually,” stated Brian Wickersham, the design director of this project. “By wrapping the building in translucent polycarbonate we were able to maintain the main gathering space while also completely transforming the look of the building. Our hope is for this building to function as the heart for both the campus and community, by enhancing not only the students’ learning experiences but Vista Del Mar’s visibility and relationship to its neighborhood.” 

 It also acts as a rehearsal place for the dancers who will be performing here in the future. 

One of these rehearsal rooms is said to be an architectural marvel as it is “a green room area just off the stage that is bathed in light.” 

Not only is this studio for dancing and music, but it also provides mental health resources for minors in the area. 

“The center will provide space for an innovative therapeutic arts program to use performing arts to teach kids a variety of subjects,” Westside Today said. 

“I think it’s an amazing idea as there aren’t that many mental health resources that are affordable in people’s lives,” junior Nikka Jafari stated. “The fact that they have classes for autistic children is amazing, and they’re using the space they have to help people. I see nothing but growth from here.”

Katie Siriani, also a junior, said, “I think that’s super cool and a great way to benefit people’s mental health through targeting and encouraging hobbies or skills. Sometimes people don’t like to ask for help so if there’s a pressureless outlet available that lets them destress without seeming like that’s the only intention, it seems really useful.” 

Connecting to the mental health purpose, each room in this facility has been designed to create a comforting atmosphere for those who will use the space. The idea is for their surroundings to be calming while also being inspiring because of the amount of light that is brought into the building. 

Metropolis even calls the center “a beacon of light.” 

To allow this much light to enter the building, the designers and architects used polycarbonate panels. These panels are less expensive than glass, lightweight, and also economically friendly. 

“Structural columns located behind the facade and architectural columns were strategically placed to make ‘a pattern that creates a gradient,’” stated the Metropolis.

This was all so that the structure could have its own concept of rhythm. 

Glorya Kaufman is the woman who made this center possible. Her contributions have and will continue to benefit people who are passionate about different art forms.