BOSTON — Although the majority of the campus has remained quiet during spring break this week, faculty gathered Thursday afternoon in the multipurpose room of Piano Row to watch the live video of the Los Angeles campus groundbreaking ceremony.  

After a brief audio snafu left viewers with a soundless live stream of the stage inside the tented event in Hollywood, the small group of 11 staff members watched their colleagues at the historic groundbreaking of the highly anticipated Emerson College Los Angeles facility. 

Allison Teixeira, the assistant news director in the communications office, said the speakers at the event embodied the college’s mission.

“They expressed the pride that I think a lot of people that work in this school or that have gone to school here were feeling,” Teixeira said. “It’s an important moment in Emerson history and it’s been a long time in the making.”

Today marked the beginning of a two year construction period for the 37,000 square foot building that will host 220 Emerson students each semester. Located at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Gordon Street in Hollywood, the Thom Mayne-designed structure will include classrooms, administrative offices, meeting rooms, and dormitories.  

“There are so many alumni out there that are really excited to have an official permanent residence at Emerson and it’s going to offer our students even more opportunities in LA than they’ve had previously,” said Teixeira. “It’s a great thing for the college.”

Other faculty viewers declined to comment.