The Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts venue located on the

UC Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The institut ...

campus in unincorporated

Yolo County Yolo County (; Wintun: ''Yo-loy''), officially the County of Yolo, is a county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 216,403. Its county seat is Woodland. Yolo County is incl ...

, California. It is named for arts patron and

vineyard A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineya ...

operator

Robert Mondavi Robert Gerald Mondavi (June 18, 1913 – May 16, 2008) was an American winemaker. His technical and marketing strategies brought worldwide recognition for the wines of the Napa Valley in California. From an early period, Mondavi promoted label ...

, who donated US$10 million to help with the building costs, and who also helped finance The Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science on the same campus. The current annual operating budget is approximately US$7.3 million, 58% of which comes from earned income. Mondavi Center opened on October 3, 2002, for th
UC Davis Symphony Orchestra
and today serves as a venue for musical concerts, theater, dance, lecturers and other entertainers. The

façade A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loan word from the French (), which means ' frontage' or ' face'. In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important aspect ...

is a large glass-panelled lobby that is surrounded by

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

that also lines the interior walls.

Performance and other facilities

The facilities include: *Jackson Hall, named after university professor William Jackson, whose wife Barbara Jackson donated $5 million to the project in memory of him. It seats 1,801. *Vanderhoef Studio Theatre, named after former university Chancellor Larry N. Vanderhoef. It seats 250.

Architecture and design

The facility was designed by Boora Architects of Portland, Oregon as a box within a box in order to insulate the hall from the sound of the nearby freeway and train tracks. The center also features moveable panels that can adjust the acoustics of the main hall and an orchestra shell on air casters. Many green construction techniques were used to further the university's commitment to the environment and sustainable construction methods. The Mondavi Center features a M'elodie Meyer Sound system for sound reinforcement.

References

External links

Mondavi Center official website
* Mondavi Center on the Davis Wiki
Article about the Center

The Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science

Boora Architects website
University of California, Davis campus 2002 establishments in California Event venues established in 2002 Performing arts centers in California Theatre in California University and college arts centers in the United States Tourist attractions in Yolo County, California {{US-theatre-stub