Best Practice Architecture is lifting the curtain on its latest project—the Center for Performing Artists for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation (Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists). For the past 40 years, the Foundation has steadily expanded its support for performing artists nationwide, offering free professional development and financial aid to over 160,000 members. In 2016, the Foundation opened its flagship screening room in New York City. Now, through collaboration with Best Practice, it has realized its long-held goal of creating an educational and creative hub in Los Angeles’ iconic Museum Square building.

Located in the penthouse of the 1949 building designed by Wurdeman & Becket, the new 12,200-square-foot facility serves as a vital part of the entertainment industry, providing a much-needed environment to engage with educators, actors, voice artists, and the film industry at large. The facility consists of three main elements: Foundation offices, educational spaces, and a screening room with supporting areas—all designed to inspire creativity and foster community.

Upon entering the 10th floor, visitors are welcomed by wood tambour walls and led through glass doors to the lobby. Best Practice incorporated saturated red walls and a custom-lit marquee ceiling to create a dramatic and inviting entry point for guests. Support spaces, including new restrooms, a catering pantry, and a serving area, flank the main lobby and highlight floor-to-ceiling windows offering expansive views of Hollywood Hills. Best Practice enhanced the space’s natural light by incorporating a mirrored end wall, which connects the lobby to a large classroom via an operable glass door, adding flexibility for larger events.

At the heart of the center is a wood-tambour-clad screening room that seats 100 and creates an intimate, luxurious viewing experience. The jewel box theater, combined with the new lobby, allows the Foundation to host industry events and film screenings.

The educational program is directly connected to the central lobby, leading members to a variety of classrooms and labs. Conceptually thought of as “backstage”, Best Practice lined the corridor with dark colors and contrasting red light fixtures to provide wayfinding with a subtle visual nod to the edges of celluloid film strips. Social services and educator offices are clustered in the center of the wing, providing accessibility to the voice-over labs, on-camera studios, and recording booths. The rest of the program includes tech labs, editing bays, and a large conference room that can double as an extra classroom.

Foundation offices occupy the south end of the penthouse, where private and open workspaces have easy access to the screening room and educational program. A generous staff break room is located at the center, while a corner greenroom provides views and natural light for visiting performers. Best Practice designed the offices to contrast with the dark character of the educational program; they are light and bright but feature the same overhead lighting to unify the material language used throughout.

The new Center for Performing Artists sets the stage for creativity, education, and industry collaboration. Best Practice’s innovative design blends professional functionality with intimate, creative spaces, making this hub a vital resource for the LA performing arts community.