Hofrichter-Ritter Architects

Del Mar College Music Addition

Del Mar College Music Addition
© David Richter

Del Mar College Music Addition

Richter Architects

LANDSCAPE
Gignac Landscape Architecture

MANUFACTURERS
Kawneer, Journeyman Construction, Pyramid Stone

MEP
Stridde, Callins

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Journeyman Construction

CIVIL
Urban Engineering

STRUCTURAL
Walter P. Moore & Associates

AUDIO & VISUAL
Wjhw

ROOF CONSULTANT
Amtech Building Sciences

ARCHITECTS IN CHARGE
David Richter; Elizabeth Chu Richter

PHOTOGRAPHS
Craig Blackmon, David Richter

YEAR
2013

LOCATION
Corpus Christi, United States

CATEGORY
Schools

Text description provided by architect.

This project is an initial phase of a larger program to provide much needed expansion and renovation to the aging facilities that serve the nationally-recognized Del Mar College Music program.

Del Mar College Music Addition
© Craig Blackmon
Del Mar College Music Addition
© David Richter

The project includes two recording studios, a rehearsal hall, and music laboratories and classrooms.

The original building, built in the 1950’s and 1960’s was dominantly oriented to a campus perimeter street, away from the pedestrian core and life of the campus.

Del Mar College Music Addition
© Craig Blackmon
Del Mar College Music Addition
© Craig Blackmon
Del Mar College Music Addition
© Craig Blackmon

As music provides an important element to the campus cultural life, it was considered a key project opportunity to provide significant campus benefit beyond technical scope of the project – to utilize this initial phase to re-direct the Music.

Department to the heart of the campus, to create better pedestrian linkages to the campus, and to begin delineating new, lively campus outdoor spaces.

The design seamlessly extends the established campus materials of buff brick and pink cast-stone while energizing the urban campus core with a dramatically curved glass curtain-wall with integral solar shading.

Del Mar College Music Addition
© Craig Blackmon
Del Mar College Music Addition
© Craig Blackmon
Del Mar College Music Addition
First Floor Plan

This concave new dominant facade expresses musical qualities of meter and movement and offers a new architectural identity for the Music Department facing the historic heart of the campus.

Additionally, it boldly scribes and enhances an important but previously obscured north/south campus path, and creates an acoustic and visual backdrop for a planned-impromptu amphitheater carved into a new campus courtyard to the east.

Del Mar College Music Addition
Second Floor
Del Mar College Music Addition
Site Plan

The curved glass curtain-wall with integral solar shading expresses musical qualities of rhythm and expression.It forms the concave facade that creates an acoustic and visual backdrop for planned and impromptu performances.

Hofrichter-Ritter Architects
T +43 316 723538 F +43 316 723538-19
Hofrichter-Ritter Architects
Färbergasse 6, 8010 Graz, Austria