Multi-Purpose Arts Facility Project Statement.
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In order to facilitate the rapidly expanding arts culture in Little Rock, local leaders, firms, as well as the community have joined together to turn the down town’s Main Street into the “creative corridor” making it the central hub for this growing local arts movement. Although the overall idea is to have Main Street as this artistic hub within the city, a multi-purpose arts facility along this corridor is pertinent not only for the housing and display of these arts, but also as a central point along the corridor that will bring both the Little Rock and neighboring communities to the heart of the arts and entertainment of Little Rock as well as restore the economic stability and growth along Main Street.
Located at the corner of Capital Avenue and Main Street, currently a vacant lot, this multi-story, multi-purpose arts facility serves as a beacon to the collaboration of the arts as well as the gathering of the community. As a response to the need of an outdoor space that serves both the public and the facility, the Capitol-Main corner of the building is raised two stories on an arcade and opens into a slightly raised courtyard which receives ample amount of shade and light throughout periods of the day. While the arcade acts as a physical barrier between street and building, its openness allows for easy visual and physical connection between the two spaces so that the building’s ground floor becomes more an expansion or continuation of the street rather than an unrelated entity. While the arcade allows for an open and continuous flow of space for the ground level, the south tower of the facility grounds the building and defines the edge of Capitol and Main which both responds to its adjacent and neighboring buildings as well as complements the history of Main Street.
The multiple uses for this facility are laid out according to the levels with the ground floor, being the most accessible to the public, housing a local café, a linear open market and retail space, ticket booth and the outdoor courtyard which is left open for interpretive use by the public of city leaders whether it be a daily or weekly market or an outdoor theater or concert space. The courtyard space is raised 2’-4’ depending on the slope and continues to the interior spaces which allows for additional seating for the café and retail areas. The second level carries the same, linear form as the ground level allowing for personal studio spaces and gallery spaces for local artists. Even though these spaces are less accessible than the ground level, they are still clearly visible from the courtyard at ground level so that the public can visually interact with the work of the artists. The third level takes on a full rectangular space which is formed around the opening of the courtyard. This level houses the black box theater which is the largest and one of the two primary spaces in which artists show off their talents and shows to the public in a more formal setting with a large reception area to the south. The curtain wall bar that runs along Main Street houses the dance and photography studios which, like the second level, allows visual interaction between the public on the street or in the courtyard with the movement of the dancers. The fourth level houses the primary gallery and reception spaces for the facility as well as a roof terrace, which is accessibly from both sides, and acts as an extension of the gallery. The wall of the terrace that is adjacent to Main Street is a mural for local artist or local schools to paint and express their talents and visions. Levels five through ten are open floor office space and conference rooms which can be manipulated according to the tenant.
The service spaces are pushed to the far northwest corner of the building to allow for maximum space for each level. The white Fiber-C paneling, a sustainable and recyclable material, on the south and southeast facades allows for ample shading during the height of the day while also letting in enough natural light into the space. In addition, compound wall of Fiber-C, insulation, and gypsum boards which replicates the dimensions of the Fiber-C paneling for the interior, allows for a better, more sustainable climate control within these spaces. Because the first four levels all take on different forms than the subsequent six, the structural system of these first two levels are designed differently than those above. With the first two levels, the columns are made of concrete and are considerably larger than the columns for the upper levels which are of steel and fireproofed with gypsum. In addition, because one of the main towers is on the south side above the arcade, the stair on the corner of Capitol and Main acts as a further reinforcement against necessary wind loads.
Although this project stands as a beacon for the future development of the Creative Corridor, it still responds to the historic context of the area. While it is clearly a modern and a very different proposal than what is seen throughout Little Rock’s downtown, its simplicity of design, form, dimensions, and proportions not only complement its surrounding context but also adhere and meld quietly but firmly within the context as well as within the arts.
Located at the corner of Capital Avenue and Main Street, currently a vacant lot, this multi-story, multi-purpose arts facility serves as a beacon to the collaboration of the arts as well as the gathering of the community. As a response to the need of an outdoor space that serves both the public and the facility, the Capitol-Main corner of the building is raised two stories on an arcade and opens into a slightly raised courtyard which receives ample amount of shade and light throughout periods of the day. While the arcade acts as a physical barrier between street and building, its openness allows for easy visual and physical connection between the two spaces so that the building’s ground floor becomes more an expansion or continuation of the street rather than an unrelated entity. While the arcade allows for an open and continuous flow of space for the ground level, the south tower of the facility grounds the building and defines the edge of Capitol and Main which both responds to its adjacent and neighboring buildings as well as complements the history of Main Street.
The multiple uses for this facility are laid out according to the levels with the ground floor, being the most accessible to the public, housing a local café, a linear open market and retail space, ticket booth and the outdoor courtyard which is left open for interpretive use by the public of city leaders whether it be a daily or weekly market or an outdoor theater or concert space. The courtyard space is raised 2’-4’ depending on the slope and continues to the interior spaces which allows for additional seating for the café and retail areas. The second level carries the same, linear form as the ground level allowing for personal studio spaces and gallery spaces for local artists. Even though these spaces are less accessible than the ground level, they are still clearly visible from the courtyard at ground level so that the public can visually interact with the work of the artists. The third level takes on a full rectangular space which is formed around the opening of the courtyard. This level houses the black box theater which is the largest and one of the two primary spaces in which artists show off their talents and shows to the public in a more formal setting with a large reception area to the south. The curtain wall bar that runs along Main Street houses the dance and photography studios which, like the second level, allows visual interaction between the public on the street or in the courtyard with the movement of the dancers. The fourth level houses the primary gallery and reception spaces for the facility as well as a roof terrace, which is accessibly from both sides, and acts as an extension of the gallery. The wall of the terrace that is adjacent to Main Street is a mural for local artist or local schools to paint and express their talents and visions. Levels five through ten are open floor office space and conference rooms which can be manipulated according to the tenant.
The service spaces are pushed to the far northwest corner of the building to allow for maximum space for each level. The white Fiber-C paneling, a sustainable and recyclable material, on the south and southeast facades allows for ample shading during the height of the day while also letting in enough natural light into the space. In addition, compound wall of Fiber-C, insulation, and gypsum boards which replicates the dimensions of the Fiber-C paneling for the interior, allows for a better, more sustainable climate control within these spaces. Because the first four levels all take on different forms than the subsequent six, the structural system of these first two levels are designed differently than those above. With the first two levels, the columns are made of concrete and are considerably larger than the columns for the upper levels which are of steel and fireproofed with gypsum. In addition, because one of the main towers is on the south side above the arcade, the stair on the corner of Capitol and Main acts as a further reinforcement against necessary wind loads.
Although this project stands as a beacon for the future development of the Creative Corridor, it still responds to the historic context of the area. While it is clearly a modern and a very different proposal than what is seen throughout Little Rock’s downtown, its simplicity of design, form, dimensions, and proportions not only complement its surrounding context but also adhere and meld quietly but firmly within the context as well as within the arts.