The Soraya featured in Hulu’s Paradise, “Sinatra”, 2025.
If you’re watching Paradise — a new Hulu political thriller starring Sterling K. Brown — one of the settings may look familiar to those living in Southern California. The stunning, curved glass atrium they visit in episode two’s flashback is not a hub of massive tech corporations, but The Soraya.
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts—The Soraya—was designed by HGA for California State Northridge. A signature gateway building for the CSUN campus, the multi-use arts facility includes a 1,700-seat performance hall, a black box theater, classrooms, rehearsal and events spaces, and a broadcast facility. Opened in 2011, The Soraya serves as the intellectual and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley, hosting a rich array of arts performances, esteemed lectures, and special events for the University community and beyond.
Paradise isn’t the first time The Soraya has appeared on television. In fact, a number of shows have used the building’s striking exterior, lobby, and interior spaces to depict everything from a tech company (NCIS, season 16, episode 21) to Brentwood Town Hall (Mr. Mayor, season 1, episode 3).
Westworld’s Opera House of Mystery
Perhaps the closest depiction to reality was in HBO’s Westworld, which uses The Soraya as the Angeles Arts Pavilion in a season four episode where two characters go to the theatre for a performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. When they find the lobby hauntingly empty, they know something isn’t quite right.
Design Behind the Scenes
The curved stone arcade and sweeping glass wall interlock, welcoming theatergoers while uniting the community and campus through a dynamic blend of materials and movement.
The Good Place’s Favorite Stand-In: From Australia to Brentwood
The Soraya is a favorite filming location for NBC’s The Good Place, appearing in seasons two and three as the fictional Australian St. John’s University, an upscale book launch venue, and even the Sydney Opera House. Instead of traveling to Australia and renting the iconic building, they raised an Australian flag above The Soraya and used its striking three-tier concert hall as a stand-in for the opera house. Production’s efficient use of the building’s indoor and outdoor spaces to create four distinct settings is testament to the The Soraya’s functional versatility.
Design Behind the Scenes
This acclaimed arts facility features a 1,700-seat auditorium designed for superior acoustics and adaptability, seamlessly supporting theater, dance, music, lectures, radio, and film while maintaining its dramatic appearance through state-of-the-art audio, lighting, and acoustic tuning.
Chuck’s High-Stakes Heist
Season five of NBC’s spy comedy Chuck opens with an episode filmed in The Soraya, where the building is rebranded as Bale Industries, complete with new signage. With an added dance floor, high top tables, and extras wearing suits and gowns, production staged a gala that serves as the setting for an elaborate heist.
Design Behind the Scenes
Stone, tile, and glass embrace the visually open lobby as a sweeping staircase stretches upward.
The Soraya’s Sinister Side: A Cult Headquarters in Marvel’s Runaways
In Marvel’s Runaways on Hulu— a show about teenage superheroes — the Soraya is the epicenter of an evil conspiracy called the Church of Gibborim. The Runaways must sneak into the Church to rescue their friends, passing through the lobby, side halls, stairwells, back doors, and exteriors. Signage bearing the Church’s logo and security guards indicate the nefarious setting while the Soraya’s design communicates grandeur and modernity.
Design Behind the Scenes
Daylight in public and private spaces creates sustainable environments that are pleasant to be in. Built on a college campus with a strong reputation for environmental sensitivity, the project has achieved LEED Gold certification.
The Soraya’s award-winning design has attracted location scouts since its opening in 2010. The stone, tile, and glass of the open lobby is the perfect backdrop for any scene that requires a striking interior space, and the sweeping staircase is an excellent setting for action. The concert hall has a cinematic quality, with stainless-steel mesh panels that shimmer under stage lights and sinuous wood ribbons that radiate from the stage, wrapping the balconies and walls in warm hues.
Perhaps most impressive is the space’s flexibility. The Soraya is equally believable as a world-famous opera house, a prestigious university, or a cutting-edge tech company. We look forward to seeing how the space will be used in future productions. ∎
For more HGA pop culture insights check out Workplace Design – Lessons Learned from TV and Movies.