Grand Opening of the USC Ronald Tutor Campus Center
New student center celebrates the Trojan Family
USC Ronald Tutor Campus Center
WHAT: Dedication and Grand Opening Celebration of the USC Ronald Tutor Campus Center.
WHO: President C.L. Max Nikias, Vice President for Student Affairs Michael Jackson and USC Trustee Ronald Tutor, along with thousands of students and alumni.
WHEN: 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 26.
WHERE: USC Ronald Tutor Campus Center, University Park Campus, USC.
Confetti will be shot from cannons as the USC Trojan Marching Band performs to celebrate the opening of the $130 million USC Ronald Tutor Campus Center, sure to become the central gathering place for generations of Trojans to come.
The five-story, 192,000-square-foot campus center will inspire awe with its art and Romanesque architecture, highlighted by the dramatic Steps of Troy overlooking International Plaza and a fountain. The distinctive brick is from the same Lake Elsinore quarry found in the iconic Bovard Auditorium and other adjacent buildings built in the 1920s.
Inside the lavish Trojan Family Room, heads tilt skyward toward the top of the dome that is flooded with natural light. The rotunda is filled with plush furniture and the centerpiece is a large fireplace.
Before getting to the rotunda, many will stop in their tracks to gaze at the larger-than-life Trojan Family Tapestry by John Nava, who created the processional tapestries at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in downtown Los Angeles. The Tutor Center is USC’s second largest building, eclipsed only by the Galen Center arena.
New restaurants include Moreton Fig, an 8,000-square-foot restaurant named for the two towering century-old fig trees outside, as well Lemonade, which features gourmet fare with nostalgic touches.
The center houses the Admissions Center, student government, student programming, career center, Traditions Pub, Tommy’s Place performance venue and there is a student lounge on every floor. The third and fourth floors will be home to the Epstein Family Alumni Association offices, student organizations, and the Volunteer Center. The lower level includes a ballroom that can hold between 700 and 1,200 guests.
Though it replaces the Norman Topping Student Activities Center and the Commons, much of the old footprint has been dedicated to an outdoor dining and meeting space that helped earn a gold LEED environmental certification.
The Campus Center uses sustainable materials such as bamboo, and has installed energy-efficient lighting and radiant heating systems. In addition, the building features water-saving appliances, as well as trash compactors that separate out biodegradable materials.
The Ronald Tutor Campus Center was designed by AC Martin Partners, who are responsible for several other buildings on the USC campus, including the Musick Law Building, Norris Medical Library, and award-winning Popovich Hall. The principal designer is David Martin, also a USC alumnus.
Contact: Eddie North-Hager, (213) 740-9335 edwardnh@usc.edu
