Kimball Art Center / Brooks + Scarpa Architects

North View approach - Courtesy of

As we announced yesterday, Brooks + Scarpa Architects is one of the five finalists selected for the Kimball Art Center competition. Inspired by the “seemingly endless” blue skies and the unique blend of new and old within the historic , Brooks + Scarpa delicately weave the heavy mass of the existing 12,000 square foot Kimball Art Center with the new 22,000 square foot addition that has been referred to as the Kimball “Cloud”.

Main approach view - Courtesy of Brooks + Scarpa Architects

Capturing attention from a distance, the façade seeks to become a visual icon. The upper floors are composed of a conventional glazing system that is enclosed by a translucent honeycomb rain screen. The translucent faceted skin not only aides the buildings thermal performance, but transforms the Kimball Art Center into a glowing beacon within the streets of Park City.

Plaza Entry - Courtesy of Brooks + Scarpa Architects

Constructed of transparent glass, the ground level facade warmly welcomes visitors as it opens to the street. Spatially, the lower floor appears to be absorbed by the existing building and city, while the addition floats above, like a “cloud” levitating over the site as it is grounded by the existing structure. “All aspects of the building work in tandem and complement each other,” achieving a “collective strength” that would be unattainable on their own.

Courtesy of Brooks + Scarpa Architects

Consistent with the language of the exterior, the interior spaces knit together, offering a variety of spatial layouts that accommodate many types of activities. This type of flexibility allows the community to either view or participate in the artistic experience.

Courtesy of Brooks + Scarpa Architects

At the corner of Main Street and Heber Ave, a large exterior court links directly to the 20-foot high metalsmithing, welding and glass studios. The hardscape urban plaza creates a “negative entry point to the city” that contrasts the landscaped plaza across the street. This daily court will be used as an outdoor workspace for the artist studios. Large sliding panel doors opens the studios to the plaza, allowing artists to flow seamlessly from inside to out. Located midway between the existing Kimball ground floor and the basement levels, this court visually connecting most of the working studio spaces to the street. This configuration allows the existing basement to open up and connect to Main Street, joining the existing Kimball ground floor and new addition.

Courtesy of Brooks + Scarpa Architects

The proposal focuses on establishing strong connections with the Art Center and the public, expanding art into the broader community. As the working studio spaces are visually linked to the street corner, a passerby is not only directly connected to the art within the main exhibition space but they are exposed to the process in which art is made.

Cite: Rosenfield , Karissa. "Kimball Art Center / Brooks + Scarpa Architects" 11 Jan 2012. ArchDaily. Accessed 21 May 2013. <http://www.archdaily.com/199278>

4 comments

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    nice project, but what does a statement like this actually mean: “Capturing attention from a distance, the façade seeks to become a visual icon”… ? Is this the result of a decade of de-theorization of architecture and the privileging of superficial discourse?

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    • Thumb up Thumb down +1

      It translates to:
      “You are paying triple the price of a regular building because it looks different (iconic). Now pay up!”

      Reply
  3. Thumb up Thumb down -1

    Outlaw design rides into town, a month late – now what?

    Butch and Sundance must surely be spinning in their unmarked Bolivian graves at the sight of Park City, Utah, home of lovable outlaws and independent film makers, rolling out the red carpet to a handful of jet-set starchitects.

    If you were one of the millions of designers out there with a go-for-it attitude, a creative outlook and some serious time on your hands, you might have gotten fired up when The Kimball Art Center announced it’s plans for expanding. I sure did.

    And you might have been just as dismayed as I was to find out that only five concepts would be considered in the invitation-only ‘competition’.

    To be fair, there are reasons for this kind of approach, and the people in charge did an outstanding job. But do big names guarantee the best design in an era when, with a single keystroke, you can tap into the unplumbed depths of a world-wide pool of creativity and talent?

    I don’t think so, which is why I didn’t let a little thing like not being invited keep me from running alongside the limo. On my own dime, and in my own time, I too came up with a design for the new Kimball Art Center. All it cost me was four weeks, $1,000, and a broken heart, because, as usual, I fell in love with my own design.

    You can see it at; http:

    //www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2901294297751.2125115.1422240355&type=3&l=b541bfbcf0

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