Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

California High School Debuts $35M Performing Arts Center

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/04/25

Irvine High School in Irvine, Calif., recently opened its new Performing Arts Center built in partnership with C.W. Driver Companies, according to a news release. The facility cost $35 million and covers about 25,000 square feet. Construction began in January 2023, and the grand opening celebration took place on Feb. 7, 2025.

Amenities include a 650-seat main theater with upgraded sound, lighting, and rigging capabilities; a black box theater; dressing rooms; a scene shop; and central lobby, the news release reports.

“We have envisioned this facility for years, and it’s truly exciting to see it come to life,” said Kelvin Okino, Irvine Unified School District’s Executive Director of Facilities and Construction. “Through the voter’s passage of Bond Measure E, we were able to construct a new state-of-the art Performing Arts Center. The success of the project is a testament to the incredible collaboration and partnership we’ve had with C.W. Driver Companies throughout this process. Together, we’ve created a space that will empower creativity and serve our community for generations to come.”

Materials used include a steel and metal frame diaphragm building and a combination of metal panels, plaster, and curtain walls, according to the news release. The construction process incorporated sustainability techniques like irrigation, deep soil mixing, and landscape planning. The facility will play home to a wide range of student performances, rehearsals, and school events.

“We are honored to have worked on such a world-class performing arts center, which will serve as a beacon of creativity and collaboration for students throughout the district and the Irvine greater community,” said C.W. Driver Companies Project Manager Ashcon Hekmat.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • abstract illustration of school gym

    How the Gymnasium Can Serve as a Model for Learning Space Design

    Multipurpose gyms work because flexibility was built into the brief from the start, not retrofitted later. The same logic applies to academic spaces.

  • nursing students talk while studying in a hallway

    Elsevier Launches VR Simulation Solution for Nursing Students

    Elsevier has introduced Shadow Health Lab with Virtual Reality, a simulation platform that allows nursing students to interact with virtual patients and build clinical judgment skills in a safe, realistic environment.

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.