The Soraya

Premiere Arts Center Garners World-Class Programming and Support

The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (“the Soraya”) serves as a cultural hub for California State Northridge, the San Fernando Valley, and the Los Angeles area. The significant performing arts center includes a 1,700-seat performance hall, 175-seat black box theater, backstage support, classrooms, 230-seat lecture room, rehearsal and events space, and broadcast facility for KCSN public radio. Stone, tile, and glass embrace the visually open lobby as a sweeping staircase stretches upward.

The three-tier concert hall features a professional stage-house with an 85-foot-high full fly-tower. Stainless-steel mesh panels along the sides and rear shimmer in pre-show light as patrons take their seats. Sinuous wood ribbons radiate from the stage, wrapping the balconies and walls in warm hues.

Electrical Engineering

The electrical system supports and integrates with the diverse programming requirements throughout the different spaces.

Mechanical Engineering

The mechanical system accommodates varied programming needs while delivering optimal energy performance. The HVAC system taps into the university’s four existing chillers for cooling and dehumidification. In addition, the system utilizes recovered heat from two hydrogen fuel cells feeding the campus electrical grid to provide heating and domestic hot-water load. Within the performance hall, a displacement-ventilation system uses the natural buoyancy of warm air to provide ventilation and comfort with air supplied from floor-mounted registers under audience seats. By taking advantage of the seating slope, the design utilizes concrete tunnels to deliver supply air to the floor outlets.

Structural Engineering

The structural engineering supports the diverse programming and architectural components in a seismically sensitive location.

Sustainable Design

LEED® Gold certified.

Portfolio
Location

Northridge, CA

Building Type

Performing Arts

Size

166,000 SF


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