To lengthen the reverberation to two seconds, the banners and screens are withdrawn, allowing the music to resonate. There is also a demountable orchestra enclosure that contains and directs the sound of a musical group, preventing it from being dispersed within the stage tower. These functional changes have enhanced the appearance of the house. The wood and exposed brick provide a foil to the blue and gold of the coffered ceiling. The terra-cotta blocks on the side walls provide a decorative abstract relief when the house lights are up, while during a performance, they read as a rusticated wall.
Natural light can flow from the glass-roofed acoustic gallery for the first time in many years.
All these improvements should strengthen Royce s position as one of the leading arts venues in Southern California and bolster its appeal to the finest performers. The building is more than the symbol of the campus. It has become, like UCLA itself, a cultural resource of worldwide significance, and a catalyst in the arts life of the city. The traditional virtues of a good building are firmness, commodity and delight. Royce now offers all three, reminding us of its distinguished past as it promises an even brighter future to users and visitors alike.