University of Nevada, Arts Center

University of Nevada, Arts Center

Facilities for the arts and music departments, choral and band rooms, and a theater are all incorporated into Neutra and Alexander’s design for the Arts Center at the University of Nevada at Reno. The L-shaped building is composed of brick and exposed concrete and has the clear horizontal and vertical planes typical of Neutra and Alexander’s work. Set on a sloping hill, amidst a desert environ, the design accounts for its location with measures to reduce the powerful effects of the afternoon sun, including a lack of windows along its western-facing front. The north and south sides of the Arts Center border, and shelter, a sculpture and exhibition court. Inside, a monumental stairway connects the sculpture court and exhibition court and the lower level to the theater’s foyer.

Adapted from Neutra – Complete Works by Barbara Lamprecht (Taschen, 2000), p. 409.