On the northern edge of the University of Southern California campus stands a building that has spent nearly a century bringing people together. Built in 1931 as the United University Church, the Romanesque Revival structure was designed by architect C. Raimond Johnson, a USC alumnus and former lecturer in the university’s School of Architecture. Constructed of brick with terra-cotta detailing and a sanctuary framed by heavy timber, the church quickly became more than a place of worship.

Created for a joint Methodist and Presbyterian congregation, the church soon became a gathering place for the broader community. Over the decades, its doors opened to conversations about social justice, peacebuilding, equity, and LGBTQ+ advocacy. It hosted music, writing programs, and university meetings. Even as the neighborhood around it changed and the campus expanded, the church remained a familiar landmark and a place where ideas and people met.

By 2015, the congregations could no longer support the building, and USC acquired the property. Rather than lose a cherished structure, the university chose to adapt it for a new purpose. The goal was to bring together the School of Dramatic Arts programs that had long been scattered across campus and give them a shared home.

The result is the Dick Wolf Drama Center, named for USC alumnus and television producer Dick Wolf. The project carefully balanced preservation with the needs of a modern performing arts program. Architects, preservation specialists, engineers, and contractors worked closely with university leadership and stakeholders to protect the building’s historic character while preparing it for a new generation of artists.

Several key elements guided the work. The historic chapel—with its stained glass, arches, and plaster details—was transformed into a flexible performance space that can host a wide range of productions. Original steel windows were restored and upgraded for energy efficiency rather than replaced. New rehearsal rooms, classrooms, and student gathering spaces were introduced in ways that respected the building’s historic structure. A seismic upgrade and new building systems ensured the structure could safely serve students and audiences well into the future.

Today the building once again hums with activity. Actors rehearse where congregations once gathered, and students collaborate in spaces designed to encourage creativity and community. The transformation preserves a building that has long served as a hub for conversation and expression, while giving it renewed purpose on a campus devoted to learning and storytelling.

The project received a Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Award, which honors outstanding achievements in historic preservation across Los Angeles County. The Dick Wolf Drama Center shows how historic places can evolve while continuing to inspire the communities around them.