YOLA's new Inglewood home gets its finishing touches

With its 2021 debut on the horizon, the future home of Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) is getting its finishing touches in Inglewood.

The Judith and Thomas L Beckmen YOLA Center, under construction since April 2019, transformers a former Security Pacific Bank branch at 101 S. La Brea Avenue into a performance venue with space for rehearsals and educational courses. 

The Los Angeles Philharmonic, which is funding the project, tapped architect Frank Gehry to design the $14.5-million center, which splits the modest low-rise structure into a collection of multi-purpose rehearsal spaces.  Retractable bleachers and balcony seating will offer seating for up to 260 attendees during performances.  The facility will also include a choir room, a practice studio, offices, and a lounge for parents and family of YOLA members.

Gehry's restoration of the former bank branch retains its original finishes - including glass, metal, brick, and tile - while adding a glass-walled roof pop-up to provide natural lighting into its main stage - the Edgerton Foundation Performance Hall.

The new YOLA Center, which is expected to serve 500 students from Inglewood and neighboring communities, furthers the organization's mission to provide musical training and academic support to young Angelenos.  Founded in 2007, YOLA now serves students in South Los Angeles, Westlake, and the Eastside.

The development site sits a short walk south of the intersection of La Brea and Florence Avenues, where construction is also underway for a six-story, 242-unit apartment complex and a future station on Metro's Crenshaw/LAX Line.

• YOLA Center (Urbanize LA)