While CAP UCLA has been on our annual programming break this summer, construction on our new theater, the UCLA Nimoy Theater, has been heating up! We’re excited to share an update on the project’s progress. For those of you who ever attended a movie at The Crest, you’ll recall its distinctive style, created by the Disney designer Joseph Musil.

At the beginning of construction, the much-loved murals were de-installed and saved for later re-installation. All of the seats were permanently removed and the theater’s auditorium was stripped down to a shell that is being converted to a state-of-the-art space for live performance. Some of the major structural work has now been completed, including:

Underground Systems for Optimal Sound: A 12’-deep trench was dug under the theater’s original floor for the installation of the main ductwork, which will contain all of the theater's HVAC, electrical and plumbing. Having these systems operate deeply underground will minimize any vibrations and noise, creating optimal performance conditions.

Raked Floors for Optimal Viewing: The Nimoy auditorium will feature fixed seating on a raked floor in the rear and movable seating in the front, allowing for flexibility in configurations (cabaret, dance, etc.) and up to 299 seats.

Preparing the Ceiling and Roof: The next step in the auditorium is to configure the ceiling for the lighting and sound systems for live performances. A massive scaffolding structure has been set up in the auditorium to allow this work. Once this is done, the fixed seating will be installed and the space will begin to look much more like a theater!

We’ll look forward to sharing more updates and images later this fall, and if you are interested in learning more about our capital campaign to raise the funds for this ambitious project, please visit cap.ucla.edu/The_Nimoy.