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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
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