flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Loyola Marymount University completes a new home for its acclaimed School of Film and Television

University Buildings

Loyola Marymount University completes a new home for its acclaimed School of Film and Television

In addition to the four-story Fitzpatrick Pavilion, SOM designed the open-air Drollinger Family Stage, the school’s first outdoor performance venue.


By Novid Parsi, Contributing Editor | December 22, 2022
Loyola Marymount University Howard B. Fitzpatrick Pavilion by SOM
The Howard B. Fitzpatrick Pavilion is the new home of the undergraduate School of Film and Television. Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk

California’s Loyola Marymount University (LMU) has completed two new buildings for arts and media education at its Westchester campus. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the Howard B. Fitzpatrick Pavilion is the new home of the undergraduate School of Film and Television, which is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 10 film schools. Also designed by SOM, the open-air Drollinger Family Stage is an outdoor lecture and performance space.

The four-story Fitzpatrick Pavilion features a semi-transparent brise soleil façade that shades outdoor spaces and seating while at the same time revealing the activity inside. The facility includes an 80-seat theater as well as open-air social spaces in the theater’s courtyard and on its rooftop. The Fitzpatrick Pavilion offers students 24-hour access to stop motion, film, and camera-directing studios, in addition to technology-rich post-production and animation labs.

Designed for the LMU College of Communication and Fine Arts, the Drollinger Family Stage is LMU’s first outdoor performance venue. The stage will host live theatrical and dance events, concerts, public lectures, and other engagements. The 1,600-sf stage can be fully enclosed or open on all sides.

Loyola Marymount University (LMU) Drollinger Family Stage designed by SOM  © SOM | Dave Burk
Loyola Marymount University's Drollinger Family Stage, designed by SOM. Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk

Previous SOM-designed facilities for LMU include an adaptive reuse project that provided administrative offices for LMU’s marketing, communications and university relations staff, and a new building for the Graduate School of Film and Television. Now underway, the renovation of LMU’s Strub Theatre will turn a traditional theater and dance stage into a flexible black box theater.

On the Building Team:
Architecture, interiors, structure, graphics: SOM

School of Film and Television consultants:
General contractor: WEO
Construction manager: AMA Project Management
Landscape: MIG
Civil engineering: KPFF
MEP: AMA Engineers
Lighting: HLB
Acoustics and audiovisual: Waveguide
Telecom/security: ITSDG

Drollinger Stage consultants:
General contractor: WEO
Civil engineering: KPFF
MEP: AMA Engineers
Lighting: HLB
Acoustics and audiovisual: Waveguide
Telecom a security: ITSDG

The Howard B. Fitzpatrick Pavilion is the new home of the undergraduate School of Film and Television. Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
The Howard B. Fitzpatrick Pavilion is the new home of the undergraduate School of Film and Television. Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
The Howard B. Fitzpatrick Pavilion is the new home of the undergraduate School of Film and Television. Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
The Howard B. Fitzpatrick Pavilion is the new home of the undergraduate School of Film and Television. Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
The Howard B. Fitzpatrick Pavilion is the new home of the undergraduate School of Film and Television. Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Loyola Marymount University's Drollinger Family Stage, designed by SOM. Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Loyola Marymount University's Drollinger Family Stage, designed by SOM. Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Loyola Marymount University's Drollinger Family Stage, designed by SOM. Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Loyola Marymount University's Drollinger Family Stage, designed by SOM. Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Loyola Marymount University's Drollinger Family Stage, designed by SOM. Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk
Photo: © SOM | Dave Burk

Related Stories

Giants 400 | Sep 28, 2023

Top 100 University Building Construction Firms for 2023

Turner Construction, Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., STO Building Group, Suffolk Construction, and Skanska USA top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest university sector contractors and construction management firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes revenue for all university/college-related buildings except student residence halls, sports/recreation facilities, laboratories, S+T-related buildings, parking facilities, and performing arts centers (revenue for those buildings are reported in their respective Giants 400 ranking). 

University Buildings | Sep 27, 2023

Top 170 University Building Architecture Firms for 2023

Gensler, CannonDesign, Page Southerland Page, SmithGroup, and Ayers Saint Gross top the ranking of the nation's largest university sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.

Affordable Housing | Sep 25, 2023

3 affordable housing projects that serve as social catalysts

Trish Donnally, Associate Principal, Perkins Eastman, shares insights from three transformative affordable housing projects.

Adaptive Reuse | Sep 19, 2023

Transforming shopping malls into 21st century neighborhoods

As we reimagine the antiquated shopping mall, Marc Asnis, AICP, Associate, Perkins&Will, details four first steps to consider.

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023

Top 115 Architecture Engineering Firms for 2023

Stantec, HDR, Page, HOK, and Arcadis North America top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture engineering (AE) firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023

2023 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms

A record 552 AEC firms submitted data for BD+C's 2023 Giants 400 Report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023

Top 175 Architecture Firms for 2023

Gensler, HKS, Perkins&Will, Corgan, and Perkins Eastman top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.

Higher Education | Aug 22, 2023

How boldly uniting divergent disciplines boosts students’ career viability

CannonDesign's Charles Smith and Patricia Bou argue that spaces designed for interdisciplinary learning will help fuel a strong, resilient generation of students in an ever-changing economy.

Adaptive Reuse | Aug 17, 2023

How to design for adaptive reuse: Don’t reinvent the wheel

Gresham Smith demonstrates the opportunities of adaptive reuse, specifically reusing empty big-box retail and malls, many of which sit unused or underutilized across the country.

Higher Education | Aug 7, 2023

Building a better academic workplace

Gensler's David Craig and Melany Park show how agile, efficient workplaces bring university faculty and staff closer together while supporting individual needs.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category



Mass Timber

Bjarke Ingels Group designs a mass timber cube structure for the University of Kansas

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and executive architect BNIM have unveiled their design for a new mass timber cube structure called the Makers’ KUbe for the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design. A six-story, 50,000-sf building for learning and collaboration, the light-filled KUbe will house studio and teaching space, 3D-printing and robotic labs, and a ground-level cafe, all organized around a central core.


halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021