Colburn School and McCarthy Building Cos., Inc. Reach Concrete Topping-Out Milestone of Frank Gehry-Designed Campus Expansion, Marking Halfway Point of Construction

B-roll footage and photos available here

https://colburnschool.edu/future/

(Tuesday, September 30, 2025, Los Angeles) – The Colburn School has reached another significant milestone in its Frank-Gehry designed campus expansion with the recent concrete topping-out, marking the halfway point of construction. This follows the earlier steel topping-out in July, with both milestones underscoring the momentum behind this transformative development, scheduled for completion in fall 2027. Once finished, the expansion will create the largest concentration of Gehry-designed buildings in the world.

The Colburn School campus expansion is located adjacent to Colburn School’s Grand Avenue campus in Downtown Los Angeles, and will dramatically increase the school’s world-class training and performance facilities for music and dance. The design includes a 1,000-seat in-the-round concert hall named for Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall, and will more than double the facilities for the School’s Trudl Zipper Dance Institute, creating one of the most comprehensive dance education complexes in Southern California. The dance facilities include a 100-seat theater for dance and four professional-sized studios for dance instruction and rehearsal. The new building will also add a rooftop garden that will be large enough to host receptions and outdoor performances, as well as a ground-level garden with a dedicated performance space that will be open to the public.

Nearly 30 years ago, the Colburn School became one of the first arts institutions to establish a presence on Grand Avenue with the opening of its current campus in 1998. The campus expansion strengthens Colburn’s position as a cultural cornerstone of downtown Los Angeles, shaping the city’s artistic future while building on its legacy.

Captions:

• The Colburn School celebrates the concrete topping-out of its Frank Gehry–designed campus expansion, marking the halfway point of construction. The project is on track to open fall 2027 and will create the largest concentration of Gehry-designed buildings in the world.

• Nearly 30 years after opening its current Grand Avenue campus, Colburn School marks a major milestone with the concrete topping-out of its Frank Gehry-designed expansion, bringing a new concert hall, dance, and performance spaces to downtown Los Angeles.

About Colburn School

A performing arts institution located in the heart of Los Angeles, the COLBURN SCHOOL trains students from beginners to those about to embark on professional careers. The academic units of the School provide a complete spectrum of music and dance education united by a single philosophy: that all who desire to study music or dance should have access to top-level instruction.

• The diploma- and degree-granting Conservatory of Music is distinguished by a unique all-scholarship model, renowned faculty, and outstanding performance opportunities. It prepares the very highest level of collegiate musicians for professional careers.
• The Music Academy is a highly selective training program for gifted young pre-collegiate musicians, designed to prepare students for conservatory study and performing careers at the highest levels of achievement. This residential program balances performance, musical instruction, and academics.
• The Community School of Performing Arts welcomes students of all ages, from seven months old to adults. It offers over 120 classes each year in orchestral instruments, piano, guitar, voice, jazz, music theory, drama, and ensembles including orchestra, choir, and chamber music.
• The Trudl Zipper Dance Institute develops performers of all levels, from aspiring professionals in the Dance Academy to beginners starting in Youth Dance. Students of all levels receive training in ballet, tap, and modern genres as part of a comprehensive dance education.
• Created to serve all units of the School, the Center for Innovation and Community Impact empowers the musical and dance leaders of tomorrow by nurturing students’ passion and ability to serve their communities, preparing them for sustainable careers, and embracing the development of new ideas. The Center embodies Colburn’s commitment to developing young artists with the curiosity, skills, and commitment to make a difference in their field.

Each year, more than 2,000 students from around the world come to Colburn to benefit from the renowned faculty, exceptional facilities, and focus on excellence that unites the community.

In 2024, the Colburn School broke ground on the Frank Gehry-designed Colburn Center, a multi-faceted campus expansion of the Colburn School. Located across the street from the School’s existing campus at the intersection of Olive and Second Streets, the building will enable the School to expand its mission of presenting programs for the public. Gehry’s design includes a 1,000-seat in-the-round concert hall named for Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall, five professional-sized dance studios including a 100-seat studio theater, and gardens that bring fresh air and green spaces to the downtown landscape. The expansion will more than double the facilities for the School’s Trudl Zipper Dance Institute, creating one of the most comprehensive dance education complexes in Southern California.

###