CLA Building
| CLA Building | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Futurist |
| Town or city | Pomona, California |
| Country | United States of America |
| Completed | 1993 |
| Demolished | 2022 |
| Client | Cal Poly Pomona |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Antoine Predock |
The Classroom, Laboratory & Administration Building, commonly known simply as the CLA Building, is a partially deconstructed abandoned building on the campus of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). Designed by Albuquerque, New Mexico-based architect Antoine Predock in the Futurist style and completed in 1993, it has come to be the defining image of the university.[1] The Administration portion of the building is currently in the beginning stages of demolition, with demolition planned to be fully completed in August 2022. [2]
Its pointed, triangular and open top made it the most distinct tower on the university campus. According to Predock, "inevitably, human settlement alters the landscape. Successive habitation has altered the Pomona Valley from the original dry swept earth of Rancho San Jose. Now the verdant Arabian horse ranch of W.K. Kellogg coexists with the technological, superscale freeway interchange."[1] Due to Cal Poly Pomona's proximity to the Los Angeles district of Hollywood, the building has been displayed in films such as Gattaca and Impostor, as well as several TV commercials for products such as cars and cell phones.[3] Cal Poly Pomona changed its logo in 1994 after the opening of the building.[4]
The CLA building sits directly above the San Jose Hills fault and has the second-highest seismic "risk score" of 72.94, in the California State University system, after a building at CSU East Bay (Warren Hall). It suffered no structural damage as a result of the July 29, 2008 Chino Hills earthquake, a magnitude 5.4. It has leaked water since it was completed in 1993, and connections and beams at the building do not meet California earthquake safety standards. The University won a $13.3 settlement after a lawsuit with the contractor who built the building.[5] It needs so much work that university officials began contemplating tearing it down.[6] The CSU Board of Trustees, at its September 21, 2010 meeting, approved a proposal to replace the CLA with a new facility.[7]
All administrative offices located in the "tower" portion of the CLA were moved to the Student Services Building (SSB). The SSB (colloquially known as the "Spaceship" or the "Pringle") opened in Spring 2019 and is located directly southwest from the CLA.[8] The Cal Poly Pomona logo was also changed in 2018 concurrent with the disuse of the CLA tower.[4]
The removal of the Administration portion of the building, including the Registrar area is scheduled to begin in May 2022 and will be completed by the end of summer. The site is planned to be used for green space and outdoor seating and studying areas. [9] The Classroom and Laboratory portions of the building are to be renovated and placed back in service, which has been controversial among some students and faculty.[10]
References
- ^ a b "CLA Building". MIMOA Modern Architectural Guide. 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-04-27. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ "Timeline". www.cpp.edu. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
- ^ PolyCentric (2001-12-31). "CLA Building Gets Big Screen Treatment as Dimension Films' "Impostor" Hits Theaters". Cal Poly Pomona. Archived from the original on 2010-11-09. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ a b Tobin • •, Kim. "Students Debate Over Cal Poly Pomona New School Logo". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
- ^ "Doomed from the start: The CLA building". The Poly Post. 2018-09-16. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
- ^ Baeder, Ben (2008-08-30). "Iconic Cal Poly Pomona building could be razed". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Retrieved 2019-04-25.
- ^ PolyCentric (2010-09-22). "CSU Approves Proposal to Replace CLA".
- ^ "Student Services Building Officially Opens at Cal Poly Pomona | PolyCentric". Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ^ "Structural Flaws and Fault Line Hazard Force Demolition of CLA Tower | PolyCentric".
- ^ "Remaining CLA classes leave students worried about safety". The Poly Post. 2022-03-15. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
External links
Media related to CLA Building at Wikimedia Commons
