Gilchrist Learning Center

PLaN Architecture

Recognitions: AIA Iowa 2020 Design Award

Project Description

With incomes in the area being roughly 20% less than the national average the Sioux City Art Center has worked hard to maintain free access to the public. However, with tightening budgets and increased security restrictions, the Art Center chose to create a stand-alone facility for their art-making studios in an effort to reduce expenses within the main museum building; while simultaneously increasing access to the art-making studios. A parti for the studio building was developed that creates an opportunity not only for the making of but also the display of community-made art works both from within the building and from the developing exterior sculpture garden outside. One of the more unique requests of the Art Center staff was that the building needed to both standout and promote the activity inside but also be a subdued backdrop for the developing sculpture garden. This dichotomy (stand-out-but-not-too-much) combined with the relatively low budget of $195 PSF resulted in a parti that utilized economically-repetitious white cube-like forms for each of the four studio instruction spaces. The spartan/restrained material tectonic combined with reusing cabinetry and other studio furnishings from the previous facility helped to further reduce construction costs. Studio spaces are connected by a glass-walled circulation space that doubles as a reciprocal gallery space allowing both interior and exterior patrons the opportunity to view works both inside and outside of the facility. The repetitious tectonic also creates a more homogenous background relative to the sculpture garden. In this way, the white-boxed studio forms serve a dual purpose in that at the exterior they become a backdrop for outdoor sculptures, shadows and other presentations. The facility’s parti creates dualities in the building’s use, which add value to and increase access to the arts from both the inside and outside of the facility.