Morphosis Crafts A Striking New College Campus in Los Angeles

At Emerson College Los Angeles, the West Coast outpost of the Boston school, students can find inspiration not only in their course work but also in the campus. Designed by Pritzker Prize winner Thom Mayne, head of the firm Morphosis Architects, the new 107,000-square-foot complex is a dynamic exercise in form-making. Rising from a shared base are two dormitory towers, their crowns bridged by a helipad-bearing canopy. The resulting configuration, echoing a proscenium arch, frames a cluster of sinuous volumes that contain administrative offices, classrooms, and other facilities. Also weaving through the site are outdoor spaces that can be used for screenings and performances, with the structure’s sculptural aluminum-clad walls providing an eye-catching backdrop. Even on Sunset Boulevard, in the heart of Tinseltown, this daring edifice steals the spotlight.