wHY unites pomona college's arts building in california beneath curving canopy

wHY unites pomona college’s arts building in california beneath curving canopy
image © iwan baan

serving as the first purpose-built venue dedicated to the arts at pomona college in claremont, california, ‘the studio art hall’ designed by LA-based architecture firm wHY is a 35,000 square foot structure based in a diverse campus setting. wHY’s team worked closely with the art department, and its students, to re-imagine the program in support of positioning art at the center of campus. programming sessions uncovered a desire for mixing and exposing different disciplines during the art-making process.

the firm has created a green and transparent space for the arts
image © iwan baan

the campus has been conceived as a community and village-like space; instilling a porous nature that encourages collaboration among students. the building is arranged around a central courtyard that itself is part of a prominent diagonal path through campus. accomplished through semi-public, collaborative ‘grey spaces,’ the building maximizes the intersection between students, faculty and staff as they move through both the studios and public areas. to maximize efficiency, the site, building and interior design integrate sustainable components for uninterrupted art making.

the staircase and courtyard is a prominent diagonal path through campus
image © iwan baan

a strategic, non-hierarchical stacking of studio spaces fuels an openness and unrestricted approach to art. the expansive use of glass provides students with a view of the overall scheme — providing insight into the creative processes of their peers and faculty members in multiple disciplines. uniting the project is an arching steel and wood roof that echoes the form of the nearby mountain range and draws parallels to the historic bow-string trussed warehouses that now house art galleries and studios throughout los angeles.

the building wraps around a central courtyard
image © iwan baan

floor-to-ceiling windows in many studios frame expansive mountains, rolling native landscape and an historic oak grove. the capacity to expand the working environment into the open air or natural surroundings is also encouraged. to maximize efficiency, the site, building and interior design integrate sustainable components for uninterrupted art making.

the art studios are spacious and filled with light
image © iwan baan

the stacking of studio spaces fuels an openness and unrestricted approach to art
image © iwan baan

floor-to-ceiling windows in many studios frame the rolling native landscape
image © iwan baan

the second level looks down onto the courtyard
image © iwan baan

the building maximizes the intersection between students, faculty and staff
image © iwan baan

an arching steel and wood roof echoes the rise and fall of the nearby mountain range
image © iwan baan

exterior evening view of pomona college
image © iwan baan

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project info:

architects: wHY architecture
landscape: why in collaboration with EPT design
furniture/objects: why in collaboration with the pomona college art department
structural: thornton tomasetti  
MEP: stantec (formerly ibe)
civil: magnusson klemencic associates
acoustical: veneklasen associates
lighting: george sexton associates
waterproofing: roofing waterproofing & forensics inc. (RWFI)
vertical transportation: lerch bates
door hardware: assa abloy muscat, shari
code consultant: aon fire protection engineering
contractor: hamilton construction