SAG-AFTRA Foundation Center For Performing Artists / Best Practice Architecture

Architects: Best Practice Architecture
Area: 12200 ft²
Year: 2024
Photographs: Rafael Soldi
Contractor: Howard Building Corporation
Structural Engineer: Silman Structural Solutions
MEP Engineer: Derive Engineers
Acoustics: Akustiks
Lighting: Dark | Light Design
Theater: Theater Projects
Audio Visual: Boyce Nemec Design
Furniture: Two-Point
Theater Seating: Series Seating
Signage: Sign Specialists Corporation
City: Los Angeles
Country: United States

SAG-AFTRA Foundation Center for Performing Artists, designed by Best Practice Architecture in Los Angeles’ Museum Square, serves as a hub for education, collaboration, and industry events. Expanding the Foundation’s support for over 160,000 performing artists, the 12,200-square-foot space integrates offices, classrooms, and a screening room. Located in the penthouse of the 1949 Wurdeman & Becket building, the design features a dramatic red-accented lobby, a wood-tambour-clad 100-seat screening room, and flexible educational spaces. Offices at the south end contrast with the darker classrooms, creating a bright, open workspace. Best Practice Architecture blends professional functionality with intimate creative areas, reinforcing the Foundation’s role as a key resource for Los Angeles’ performing arts community.

Sag-aftra foundation center for performing artists / best practice architecture

Best Practice Architecture has unveiled its latest project, the Center for Performing Artists for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists). For 40 years, the Foundation has expanded its nationwide support for performing artists, providing free professional development and financial aid to over 160,000 members. In 2016, it opened its flagship screening room in New York City. Now, in collaboration with Best Practice, it has achieved its long-standing goal of establishing an educational and creative hub in Los Angeles’ Museum Square building.

To choose how our designs react to their environments, we astutely observe, ask questions, and seek a response that wholeheartedly attempts to leave it fortified, delightful, and sustainable.
Interview with Ian Butcher, Kailin Gregga, Kip Katich of Best Practice Architecture

Situated in the penthouse of the 1949 building designed by Wurdeman & Becket, the 12,200-square-foot facility plays a key role in the entertainment industry, offering a dedicated space for interaction among educators, actors, voice artists, and film professionals. The design is structured around three main elements: Foundation offices, educational spaces, and a screening room with supporting areas—all aimed at fostering creativity and a sense of community.

Visitors arriving on the 10th floor are greeted by wood tambour walls and guided through glass doors into the lobby. Best Practice Architecture designed the entry with saturated red walls and a custom-lit marquee ceiling, creating a dramatic and welcoming atmosphere. Support spaces, including new restrooms, a catering pantry, and a serving area, flank the main lobby, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame expansive views of the Hollywood Hills. To maximize natural light, Best Practice incorporated a mirrored end wall, visually extending the space and linking the lobby to a large classroom through an operable glass door, allowing for flexibility during larger events.

At the core of the center, a wood-tambour-clad screening room with 100 seats offers an intimate and refined viewing experience. This jewel box theater, together with the newly designed lobby, enables the SAG-AFTRA Foundation to host industry events and film screenings.

The educational program connects directly to the central lobby, guiding members to a range of classrooms and labs. Designed with a “backstage” concept, Best Practice lined the corridor with dark tones and red light fixtures, subtly referencing the edges of celluloid film strips while also serving as wayfinding. Social services and educator offices are centrally located, ensuring accessibility to voice-over labs, on-camera studios, and recording booths. The program also includes tech labs, editing bays, and a large conference room, which can serve as an additional classroom when needed.

The Foundation offices are situated at the south end of the penthouse, offering both private and open workspaces with direct access to the screening room and educational program. A spacious staff break room is centrally located, while a corner greenroom provides natural light and views for visiting performers. Best Practice designed the offices to contrast with the darker tones of the educational spaces, creating a lighter, brighter environment while maintaining a cohesive material language through consistent overhead lighting.

The new Center for Performing Artists serves as a platform for creativity, education, and industry collaboration. Best Practice’s design seamlessly integrates professional functionality with intimate creative spaces, establishing the facility as a key resource for Los Angeles’ performing arts community.