Columbia's Media Production Center, their first 'new' building, was just completed this year, and is already in use. I think it's pretty to look at, with the many different colored windows, the whole front wall of windows. It seems very modern in the way that trendy lofts, and new student housing (ie, DePaul's Loft-Rite, Dwight Lofts, etc) is modern- the same sort of furniture and shapes throughout, as well as the now ever-prevalent exposed ceiling ducting (this time, painted black, except in the pantry, where it's still shiny silver). When I first walked in there were a few students sitting in the theater/lounge area to the right of the entrance. Several carpeted large steps are set up (with normal sized stairs to the side), with a platform and tables at the top, and a movie screen across from the seating. In compliance with their LEED rating, I noticed that some of the lights turned on over my head as I sat looking around, though since it was an open space, I'm not sure whether it was motion detected or time detected.. The building was much smaller than I had expected. There was really just the lounge space on the right of the entrance, and to the left was the very large stage area, with a few (about 3?) classrooms branching off in the area near, dressing rooms, a makeup room, and a costume room (all locked). One thing that did bother me, and this is totally personal bias, was the narrow vertical lights built into the wall along the ramp down from the top of the steps- these reminded me of the banks of tall narrow vertical windows that were built into my high school.
The only thing about the building that really struck me as 'female' persay (having been designed by architect Jean Gang) was the colored windows built into the facade, though that seems to be in keeping with the general modern design of the building. Other than that- concrete, exposed ducting, hard nubby carpets- these things all tend to be more 'male' or utilitarian to me.
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