Designed by Los Angeles-based Michael Maltzan Architecture, the new performing arts center spans 242,150 square feet and will house the San Franciso’s programs in theatre, music, dance and broadcast and electronic communication arts.
The Mashouf Performing Arts Center will be constructed at the corner of Lake Merced and Font Boulevards. The architects have attempted to capture the spirit of the University’s College of Creative Arts in the design, facilitating connection and interaction among theatregoers, performers, students and faculty.
The building’s architecture features an expansive horizontal form and is punctuated by the performance spaces rising above. A distinctive wave design flows along both Lake Merced and Font Boulevards, creating a feeling of movement. The building is also designed to foster pedestrian activity through interconnected arcades and walkways.
The Mashouf Performing Arts Center will be constructed in three phases. It will feature a 1,200-seat theatre that will provide a venue for a range of performances including music, theatre, opera and dance and also serve as a space for public debates and panel discussions; a 350-seat Music Recital Hall serving as a performance space for soloists and quartets; a 450-seat Little Theatre serving as an intimate setting shared by performer and audience featuring a single space bounded by the arced seating rising from the stage floor; a 250-seat Black Box Theatre serving as a space for experimental and cutting-edge work; a 60-seat Brown Bag Theatre located beneath a public courtyard in the centre of the building; and Broadcast Facilities that includes two high-definition television studios, electronic journalism studio, music recording studio and radio station.
The building will be designed and constructed to a LEED Gold level standard, incorporating numerous sustainability features including natural ventilation and daylighting in non-performance spaces, and rainwater capture and reuse.
The Mashouf Performing Arts Center received both private and public funding. SF State alumni Manny Mashouf and Neda Nobari made a $10 million gift to SF State in 2007 towards the building, the largest private donation in SF State history.
