National City Art Center

The existing space offered a conventional and ordinary commercial environment featuring dropped acoustical ceilings and an unimaginative use of space. Thus, the first design move required the complete stripping down of the existing space to its core elements. With this raw industrial shell as a desired backdrop, the new Art & Culture Center could take shape. “Come learn and have fun”, was the thriving community message derived from the stakeholders workshops and inspired the design. An organizational strategy of varied events revolves around a central core; thus, the perimeter is left free to maximize views to Kimball Park and exposure to natural light.