Bridge Hall Seismic Upgrade, Connection with Leventhal School of Accounting, USC

Bridge Hall, designed in 1928 by noted Los Angeles architects John and Donald Parkinson, is under review for seismic upgrade, including base isolation. An existing concrete connecting bridge between the two primary Accounting buildings will need to be re-built to accommodate movement of the buildings during a seismic event. Several schemes were reviewed to connect the two historic campus buildings with an appropriate link. Kaplan Chen Kaplan designed schemes that both express their new construction as well as evoke the surrounding context and pattern of materials. Each scheme includes a hidden seismic joint that allows substantial movement between buildings and accommodates the varying floor heights.