Newark Memorial H.S. Community Events Center

Newark Unified School District

Completion: January 2004
47,480 s.f.

Students, staff and community were all involved in the needs assessment and the vision of this important community asset. The planning process included open workshops and the active pursuit of opinions from the facility’s primary users – the students and community members.
The Community Events Center’s existence is a tribute to community sponsorship and the campus’ cooperative relationship with surrounding civic and corporate entities.
This 180 ft. clear-span structure reflects the need to implement a major facility within a community that demanded a dignified and respectful, yet energetic architectural statement.
The need for multi-purpose and flexible space resulted an upper level with reverse collapsing bleachers. These bleachers are open for major main floor events and collapse (back to front) for upper level activities. The students’ desire to have the facility represent their ‘Cougar Spirit’ resulted in the commissioning of the plaster inlaid wall art entitled ‘Cougars In Motion’.
The community and campus jointly utilize this facility extensively due to its flexibility for accommodating more than the entire student body. The facility has over 2,500 seats in a main events configuration. .
Original campus facilities were built in many phases and provided an innocuous face to the campus. The campus was in need of a catalyst that could reflect a more energetic student and community environment. This facility not only provides an enhancement to the existing campus’ and community functionality, but it also provides a much needed enhancement to the campus’ image to both the community and its students.