Project narrative: For many in the community, the former courthouse holds a painful history of injustice and inequity—a sentiment we heard repeatedly from stakeholders. While taking the sustainable approach of reusing the existing building, the proposed design reimagines a new, accessible entrance that reframes the historical building’s identity as an arts and cultural hub for all. Fulfilling the Center’s overarching goal to support artists and community members through programming and events, the building provides spaces for activities at every stage of the creative lifecycle—from ideation to creation to distribution—at different scales and for a diverse range of artistic disciplines.
Jury comments: The project is a commendable balance of preservation, new construction, and community engagement. In an unforeseen twist, design changes to existing portions of the project’s exterior artfully acknowledged how historic architectural iconography can serve as painful reminders of injustice in certain contexts. Furthermore, through surveys, workshops, and on-site events, the project exhibited the most robust demonstration of community engagement of all submissions. We would like to see further explorations in the branding of graphics and materials, and sustainability could be explored in making other design choices.
Images/Photographer(s): Renderings: UX Architecture Studio
