A conceptual rendering shows what an expanded Walton Arts Center could look like at the corner of Dickson Street and West Avenue in Fayetteville
Courtesy, Walton Arts Center
It’s no secret that the Walton Arts Center plans to build a brand new, 2,200-seat theater in Bentonville in the near future. That, however, won’t happen before the original Fayetteville facility receives a much-needed facelift and expansion.
Walton Arts Center officials provided new details on their Dickson Street expansion plans, including a timeline for construction, during a Tuesday meeting of the arts center’s board of directors.
Included in the plans are a new facade and entryway at the corner of Dickson and West Avenue, a larger lobby, expanded concessions, additional restrooms, an expanded Starr Theatre, additional backstage space for dressing rooms and storage, a re-configured Rosen Memorial Rose Garden, and an expansion of the center’s administrative offices.
The renderings show what the expansion could look like both with and without a downtown parking deck built on the current arts center campus.
Courtesy, Walton Arts Center
Arts center officials also unveiled new conceptual renderings for the project, created by Portland-based Boora Architects.
The renderings show what the expansion could look like both with and without a parking deck built on the current arts center campus.
“We couldn’t be more excited about this vision for the expansion of Walton Arts Center,” said Peter Lane, Walton Arts Center president. “After 20 years of growth and success, this expansion will give us the space we need to grow our programs, better serve our patrons and partner organizations and bring more events to the Dickson Street area.”
Board members also officially weighed in on the overall need for the planned downtown parking deck, unanimously approving a resolution to encourage the Fayetteville City Council to proceed with construction of the deck, preferably at the East Lot by Kingfish bar or at the main Walton Arts Center parking lot adjacent to the current campus.
Once complete, the work would result in about 30,000 additional square feet of space with an expected cost of about $20 million, which is about $7 million more than the price of the original facility.
According to a provided preliminary timeline, construction would begin in mid-2013 and be completed sometime in 2015.
Features of planned Walton Arts Center Fayetteville expansion
New main lobby that connects the center to Dickson Street
- Larger lobby to accommodate crowds for major events
- Expanded concessions and lobby amenities
- Additional restroooms
- Outdoor covered plaza that creates synergy with Dickson Street
- New special event space
Expansion and renovation of Starr Theatre
- New separate entrance plaza and dedicated lobby
- Additional theater seating – Increase seating capacity from 165-250
- Window to new Plaza Allows natural light into the room
- Creates divisible room for more flexible event and performance space
Additional backstage support spaces to meet current and future needs of artists
- New dressing rooms and stage rooms
- New production offices for visiting and local crew
- Catering kitchen
- Storage for instruments, pianos, and electrics
- Maintenance shop
- New lighting system in Baum Walker Hall
Reconfiguration of Rosen Memorial Rose Garden / Bradberry Amphitheater
- New access to garden from main lobby
- New event space for indoor outdoor events in garden
- Option to cover garden
Expansion of WAC’s main administrative offices
- Additional space to house WAC’s expanding staff
- Conference room and office support space
Expansion timeline for Fayetteville and Bentonville facilities
That looks horrific!
But not any worse then it looks now at least.
There’s only so much you can do with that huge brick facade. At least they’re lightening it up w/ all that glass. It’s not perfect but it would be much improved with this remodel.
I do not see anything about sustainability or energy efficiency. The design appears to be, look at me, as in lipstick on a pig. My argument has been a park creates synergy with Dickson Street. Not an “outdoor covered plaza” I do not see any trailhead cosidered here only how you can park a car nearby.
the trail is across the street 100 feet away
Eh last time they announced expansion plans for Fayetteville–improving the mall AMP–it _immediately_ fell apart.
Agree, that concept isn’t particularly appealing to me, nor does it fit the general tone of Dickson Street.
I like the idea of lowering the plaza down closer to Dickson Street level. There are modern, glassy designs that can be very artistic and beautifully executed. I hope they spare no expense on the design and make it something really unique and sculptural if they go the glassy, modern route. The current building is very 1980s suburban bank-facade, so there’s a lot of possibilities for improvement.
Wow, this looks incredible!
Really less of a WAC expansion and more of a slight remodel with major parking deck construction? I would like to see the retail / commercial liner buildings that were suppose to be included on the parking deck as a way to activate street level pedestrian activity.
We went from needing a parking deck to we have to absolutely have one!
What’s up with the negative attitude? Did the Coody campaign meeting not go so well tonight or what?
This is great news for Fayetteville! Seeing the negative side of everything will shorten your lifespan.
I’m with you YaYa! There are a lot of positives in this announcement. It’s great news for Fayetteville.
i know! i like the design a lot. it will really spruce up that corner, and move that building forward. kudos to the WAC for this design.
agreed. it dresses the big brick box up nicely
It looks kind of odd, especially the up above views. Its like they just stuck a bunch of glass around the edges of the brick building. There’s not a blending of elements or aesthetics. I think one of the best lobby potentials is their the from the balcony windows. This current design seems you wouldn’t have any views past the jutting roof over the front pavilion. Although a covered area would be awesome for outside shows and events and i can see the appeal of this design, the really jutting overhang roof looks really modern for quirky fayetteville downtown. And why not go crazy and build an observation or VIP deck somewhere for those days with amazing weather. They also should totally build there own parking. There is a lot of public animosity towards the WAC about the current city parking and they should just remove that element, or at least part of it.
*One of the best lobby potentials is their VIEW from the balcony windows.
I’m not sure you can blend elements of aesthetics with a blocky building that is all red brick. To me, simple form glass and steel as a contrast is proper here and I like how it reaches to the corner of the street and opens the plaza. I really like the idea of the canopy, but not sure this has quite the impact as it could.
I’m not really digging the fact that it appears to be more or less just a glass facade to the lobby- doesn’t go well with the brick of the rest of the structure that looks stuck in the 80s. Then again, I’ve never been a fan of the current building’s architecture at all.
Keep in mind, these renderings are concepts meant to give you an idea of size and scope, not detailed design elements. Those will come later. Thanks Flyer guys for the comprehensive summary.
It looks like the idea is to hide most of the current facade with additions- which will be good. Only the uppermost areas of the current building would be visible from street level so I guess blending them isn’t very important. The entry plaza and lobby should be spectacular. especially at night with a good lighting scheme. It is a nice touch to add screening on the west side of the plaza so the late afternoon sun doesn’t overwhelm it. I’m trying to figure out where the plaza stairs stop or is it all a slope?
I quite like it.
What a bunch of whiners! Pull your heads out of your asses!
I don’t ever go to the WAC, but even I think this is good news for Fayetteville. Building new administrative offices puts an end to the speculation that its moving north, so we must find something else to whine about.
I’m digging it! Good news for Fayetteville!
http://i.imgur.com/xuzX5.gif
This is just a newer version of the current barren wasteland that is the raised courtyard. How about fewer steps and more street level seating and gathering space?
very cool. hope it happens despite the haters
That’s the ugliest building I’ve ever seen. Epic failure.
Sigh. This is merely a conceptual plan. The article, timeline, and caption on the rendering combined make it clear that a design team hasn’t even been chosen, much less a specific design. $20 invested in our community to expand and improve a facility that so many kept insisting planned to move up north is a bad thing…how? It’s a great thing for Fayetteville!
what about all of the white, low cinder block buildings along college?
Will these plans tear down grubs bar and grill . Last time I checked nobody goes to dickson street for musical or plays. People around the state of Arkansas come to Dickson street for the bars and restourants .This will ruin peoples experience on Dickson street so that the losers who run the WAC want to build a bigger WAC and is just plain stupid and waste of money. How about this find an open piece of land outside of town and build your stupid WAC and just leave everybody alone .Last time I checked KATV news from Little Rock did an one hour football special at Grubs bar and grill night before the Alabama game and a famous sports writer from ESPN last year called Grubs the best college sports bar in the country .
^^^ Expert
“Last time I checked nobody goes to dickson street for musical or plays.”
When was the last time you checked? 1985?
I have to ask if you even read the article and looked at the pictures before posting this? As far as I can tell, the Grubs building is still sitting there.
It’s definitely the best college sports bar to hook up with under-aged girls at.
I hope they do something to rectify the lack of accessibility. I have a friend in a wheelchair and that building is horrible to navigate. Most of the workers and volunteers at both places are clueless about this issue as well. We have felt unwelcome a number of times.
This looks interesting — I can’t wait to see how it turns out! Hooray for Fayetteville.
They have addressed some needs to the WAC. I like it.
The people complaining obviously have no idea how hard it is to do an overhaul of an existing building like this. Sure, they could just tear the whole thing down and start from scratch and do something much more interestings. But that isn’t the plan, nor is it in budget. I think it looks good for what’s being done. Sorry it doesn’t “match” the grand scheme of Dickson Street, who cares really.
As an Urbanist and Architect this design proposal is very bad. If Fayetteville really wants so make and expansion i would propose that the old waton art center need to be torn down and rebuilt in the massive parking lot across west street. This would equal a much bigger performance center, place the walton arts center very close to theater squared, allow train access from the van buren line, and allow easy bike access from the trail system. If fayetteville wants to develop into a nice city, Fayetteville cannot continue to build blindly. I’m only a fifth year architecture student, so how is it that we the students at the fay jones school of architecture have better ideas than architects from the famous Portland Oregon? Plus is Fayetteville is so hyped up on “buying local” then buy a local architect!
Are you seriously suggesting the WAC is not easily accessible from Theater Squared, the train tracks, or the bike trail? They are each within a block of the current site.
The WAC is very accessible from theater squared, the train tracks, and the bike trail…. i’m not saying that its not. I’m saying that with a lot of money spent (the new expansion) why not dream big and go from there. RIght now the dream in this proposal is a large roof over the already dead space in front of the WAC. As a growing city, Fayetteville has the great possibilities to place specific things like performance centers in areas that could and would be a great contribution to this cities growth.
The dream includes a budget.
Are the benefits of moving the Arts Center just across the street enough to merit tearing the building down and starting from scratch? I doubt this will happen. I do agree that this proposal could use more vision, but maybe it will improve. These are only the preliminary renderings. Yes, they should consider local talent when selecting an architect. But Boora Architects does have a lot of experience with civic centers. Some of their work seems pretty interesting. There’s hope!
RE “As an Urbanist and Architect this design proposal is very bad….I’m only a fifth year architecture student”
Unless you were an architect before you attended the Fay Jones School of Architecture, you are not an architect. You should be aware that the American Institute of Architects is very particular about how the title “architect” is used. You’d almost think they invented the word. As for being an Urbanist, are you really a Franciscan nun?
Calling yourself an architect is also identity. To be a professional, titled architect, sure you have to be licensed/recognized. But how can the AIA identify you as an architect if you do not already identify and project yourself as such? Don’t be so harsh. A student’s opinion shouldn’t be ridiculed simply because he is a student. And as for being an urbanist, considering the bulk of your posts, I’m surprised by your cheekiness.
“You should be aware that the American Institute of Architects is very particular about how the title “architect” is used.”
Ohhh, dang.
RE “Calling yourself an architect is also identity.”
The title “architect” is a professional designation that is legally protected by the AIA.
RE “But how can the AIA identify you as an architect if you do not already identify and project yourself as such?”
One cannot legally call oneself an architect unless he is licensed, which requires a degree in architecture, an internship, and successfully passing a series of examinations. That is how the AIA identifies a person as an architect. The term “licensed architect” is redundant.
RE “Don’t be so harsh.”
I’m not being harsh– the AIA is.
RE “A student’s opinion shouldn’t be ridiculed…”
I am not ridiculing his opinion; I’m pointing out that, as far as his chosen profession is concerned, he is misrepresenting himself. As a fifth-year student, he should already know that, but there is, apparently, a lapse in his education.
RE ” And as for being an urbanist, considering the bulk of your posts, I’m surprised by your cheekiness.”
I’m not sure why I should have surprised you, but: given that I am qualified to make my every comment, I don’t consider myself cheeky. I also don’t call myself an architect, because I have not met all of the requirements that would accord me that privilege.. (And if Mr. McDonald had not spelled “urbanist” with a capital “U”, I probably wouldn’t have asked if he is a Franciscan nun.)
Yes, to be a practicing, self-labeled architect in the US, I understand what you’re saying, and he is incorrect in calling himself that. Perhaps it is a lapse in education. I’m not disagreeing with you necessarily. But a recent graduate who gets a full-time job doing architecture for a firm but is not yet licensed because s/he hasn’t taken an exam, you claim, is not an architect? My other, broader point, I suppose, is that architecture existed before AIA. And people can be skilled architects without being recognized by AIA. They just can’t make any money or have any clout. As for being an Urbanist, I figured it was the capital “U.” Mostly I was just pointing out the cheekiness as a coping mechanism for having learned something through such sarcasm. I did not in fact know that definition, so thanks.
nobody wants to -walk- for gds sake…go ask alice for a teleporter.
Very true I am not a licensed architect, but as a student of architecture I have a knowledgable opinion on the matter. I don’t appreciate the harsh sarcasm about being an urbanism. I have been studying cities and living in them for most of my life, I’m not an expert in the issues of urbanism but I do have high hopes for this little jem called Fayetteville. The Oregon firm has a lot great work, I just hope that they won’t use what works in Oregon in Fayetteville.
I think we all have high hopes for Fayetteville, otherwise we would not take the time to keep up with local current events through the Flyer. The Oregon firm does a lot of work outside of Oregon. Firms that are successful do work across the nation, if not internationally. Maybe it’s a good thing to have fresh eyes and minds at work in Fayetteville. I’m curious, what is your opinion as to what works in Fayetteville?
I don’t mean to sound pretentious by saying I’m an urbanist, or architect. So I’ll try and rephrase. I am interested in the means of construction of a building and the growth of a city and how that city performs. I do think of my self as an architect and a urbanist, but I cannot consider myself an architect by AIA standards, or an urbanist by a cities master planner standards. Fayetteville is a wonderful city, recently there have been great steps taken to help develop Fayetteville into a better place ( bike trails, public transportation, and businesses that are catering to these developments: arsagas on the bike trail, etc…) I hope to see Fayetteville continue to make these big great decisions so that it will continue to grow. The Walton art center can change a lot for the better if done with some thought. Currently the design proposal looks to do none of those things.
I’ve never doubted your sincerity or your enthusiasm. I also think that it is ridiculous for the AIA to lay claim to a word that existed for thousands of years before they did. At least the National Association of Realtors invented their own word to be anal about.
The Walton Arts Center proposal above seeks to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. The plaza on the corner should not have been what it was, if it should ever have existed at all. This proposal at least seeks to make that plaza a usable space, and– regardless of what you think of its aesthetics– it manages to cover up the even worse state of affairs we have now.
Gratuitous plazas and major erosions of the streetscape are pretty much passe as a panacea of master planning. Streets should be outdoor corridors, with well-defined enclosure and directionality– and senses of goal and direction, if such can be achieved. Gathering places should be outdoor rooms, with adequate setting to make that possible. Fayetteville in general and Dickson Street in particular do not have either the historic imperative (or motivation) or the urban stature to pull off something like either the Savannah Plan or anything like Baron Haussmann’s Paris. Fayetteville will have to rely on principles that create exterior civic spaces that are commensurate with our population, aspirations and stature. That is not to say that Fay6etteville cannot have great spaces; it is to say that attention must be paid to what moves will create the best mixture of function, comfortability, awe, delight, inevitability, or whatever, of each location, at each scale, in each context, without resorting to inordinate heavy-handedness. That ain’t us.