Frank Gehry’s design for the new YOLA Center @ Inglewood has been unveiled. It will house Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), which offers free music tuition to more than 1,200 students.
Gehry – known for his shapely, sculptured buildings – has worked closely on the design with LA Phil music director Gustavo Dudamel. Converted from a disused office, YOLA Center @ Inglewood has a 190-seat performance hall that can be converted into two smaller rehearsal spaces, with acoustic design by Yasuhisa Toyota.

YOLA Center @ Inglewood also has a range of smaller rooms for orchestra, chamber and individual practice, while its glass ceiling allows natural light to enter. As for tech spec, each room has rack-mounted recording equipment and projectors for long-distance learning and video conferencing.
“It’s a privilege for me to work with Gustavo to create a place where students can feel comfortable, secure, and welcome as they learn to express themselves through music,” said Gehry. “We hope that the building will become a centre for the community to gather to hear performances of all types. I designed the centre to be a world-class instrument for the community, and I can’t wait to see how they use it.”
The building will cost USD14.5m (€12.5m), with work commencing in spring 2019. It is Gehry’s second LA Phil commission – he designed its Walt Disney Concert Hall, which opened in 2003.