SF State celebrates newest academic building Marcus Hall with dedication ceremony
Right to left: SF State President Lynn Mahoney presenting a framed photo of Marcus Hall to George and Judy Marcus with the new building in the background.
The new facility for media arts includes state-of-the-art technologies to enhance learning
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 5, 2021 — San Francisco State University held a dedication ceremony today honoring the opening and naming of the new George and Judy Marcus Hall for the Liberal and Creative Arts, the University’s first new academic building in 25 years. Named after San Francisco State alumni George Marcus (B.A., ’65) and Judy Marcus (B.A., ’62), who are donors of the largest gift to SF State in University history, the dedication honors their stalwart support of SF State and the liberal and creative arts.
“George and Judy supported us but they’ve also challenged us to use the funds to ensure that our programs be models of excellence that attract the best faculty and the best students,” SF State President Lynn Mahoney said at the ceremony. “I have seen quite clearly that their support for San Francisco State is incredibly deep and enduring.”
Marcus Hall is a four-floor, 75,000-square-foot facility for the media arts designed by Mark Cavagnero Associates (Cavagnero). The building is the new home of the Broadcast and Electronic Communications Arts (BECA) department and offers a dynamic learning environment with multidisciplinary classrooms and intuitive workflow media production spaces.
At the ceremony, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, Senator Scott Wiener and more gave remarks recognizing the significance of Marcus Hall. SF State Dean of the College of Liberal & Creative Arts Andrew Harris also spoke about how the building will prepare future generations to lead and evolve the media landscape by providing students with leading-edge technology.
Marcus Hall and its advanced facilities further underscore the strength of the BECA program and the College of Liberal & Creative Arts. Highlights of the building include:
- Two multistory 4K-capable television studios, with extensive control rooms, green screen capability and motorized LED lighting
- A high-definition broadcast news studio with a news anchor desk and robotic cameras
- A sound design studio with superb acoustics for recording, mixing and mastering in surround sound; capable of ADR, SFX editing and audio restoration
- The KSFS FM broadcast student radio station, which allows livestreaming with a multipurpose radio room accommodating small group performances
- Multimedia digital editing suites and classrooms with flexible seating, with a range of different-sized rooms to accommodate a variety of instructional arrangements
- A 100-seat media presentation room, which can be used for high-video production, lecture presentations and distance-learning
- The dean’s office for the College of Liberal & Creative Arts
- Interspersed multidisciplinary classrooms for use by the whole University
Cavagnero’s design for Marcus Hall balances the use of glass, steel and concrete. Maximizing open and flexible space, accessibility and transparency, the new hybrid structure is the latest example of Cavagnero’s designs that fosters creativity and collaboration by encouraging connection between students and faculty.
“Marcus Hall provides a range of versatile spaces to spark innovation and collaboration, with state-of-the-art technology,” Cavagnero Founder and Principal Mark Cavagnero said. “I hope this new building inspires students and provides them with a space to learn, experiment and create.”
The building’s amenities are strategically designed to ensure that the University and its students remain at the forefront of technological innovation and leadership. It was also designed in accordance with SF State’s commitment to sustainable development using recycled, renewable and durable materials.
Funding for Marcus Hall comes from the Herbst Foundation and state support. For more information about the building, visit the SF State website.
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About San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a doctoral public university serving students from the San Francisco Bay Area, across California and around the world, with nationally acclaimed programs that span a broad range of disciplines. Nearly 30,000 students enroll at the University each year, and its more than 321,000 graduates have contributed to the economic, cultural and civic fabric of San Francisco and beyond. Through them — and more than 1,800 world-class faculty members — SF State proudly embraces its legacy of academic excellence, community engagement and commitment to social justice. For more information, visit sfsu.edu.
About Mark Cavagnero Associates
Cavagnero’s vision is responsive to the ever-evolving need to unify the social and built environments. The firm consistently pursues design solutions that will ensure long-term benefits for their communities to build resources that will last for generations. In pursuit of innovation, Cavagnero investigates design concepts through an iterative process that resolves complex design issues with clarity and simplicity.
Through the values instilled by founder, Mark Cavagnero, Cavagnero is especially sensitive to the cultural heritage and the legacy of place. Adhering to this philosophy by carefully investigating the alignment of each client’s program with a site’s cultural roots and social patterns of place, Cavagnero designs a specific response to each context.
The firm was founded in 1988 as Barnes and Cavagnero, and in 1993 became Mark Cavagnero Associates, grounded in a set of core values with a strong focus on public and institutional projects and a belief in the power of collaboration and community building. Cavagnero consists of over 70 multi-disciplinary professionals who are committed to its socially- and environmentally-conscious practice, which has made significant contributions to San Francisco’s civic life.
PRESS CONTACTS:
San Francisco State University
Kent Bravo, Media Relations Specialist
(415) 338-3053
Mark Cavagnero Associates
Resnicow and Associates
Megan Ardery / Madison Richards / Kathryn Hanlon-Hall
212-671-5181 / 212-671-5189 / 212-671-5179