Log Hut of Arts
BIG + ARCHITECTURAL NEXUS win the architectural competition for the Kimball Art Center in UTAH, USA. The Kimball Art Center, home to Sundance House during the Annual Sundance Film Festival, invited an international group of architects to submit designs for an interior renovation of the existing Kimball Art Center and the construction of a new building directly adjacent to the original, located centrally in Park City, Utah. The number of tourists who come here greatly exceeds the number of permanent residents.
From plumes of smoke to plumes of man-made snow, Park City has undergone multiple transformations since miners first settled in the 1860s. Today, the new Kimball Art Center site fortuitously finds itself at the most pivotal location in Park City. At the intersection of the most socially active street – Main St – and a diagonal street that has become the doorstep to the city – Heber Ave – how can the new Kimball contextualize with these two orientations?
BIG’s design for the new Kimball Art Center, inspired by the urban development of Park City, the Kimball site, and the city’s mining heritage, envisions the building as an anchor for the street life on Main St. and as a gateway and landmark for Park City. The new Kimball is designed with the flexibility, character and personality necessary to become a natural incubator for public life. We feel the form of the new Kimball Art Center emerges where these rich stories overlap.
THE HISTORY
At 80 feet, the new Kimball Art Center matches the height of the formerly neighboring Coalition Building. The building footprint and lower gallery sit in relation to Main St. and the city grid, and as the building rises it turns to greet visitors entering the city via Heber Ave, creating an iconic yet contextual building at the city’s doorstep. Referencing Park City’s mining heritage, the facade is constructed of massive stacked timber elements, creating an open publicly accessible space inside.
The original building on the property operated as a livery stable built to serve Park City’s tiny mining community. In 1929, the site transformed into the Kimball Bros garage and for 43 years served Park City’s automotive needs. In 1976, arts enthusiast Bill Kimball and friends transformed the dilapidated garage into a nonprofit community center for the visual arts. Bill Kimball wanted a gathering place for the community to enrich their lives and experience the transformative power of the arts. The Kimball Art Center (KAC) is the heart of Park City’s historic and vibrant arts community. It is a nonprofit center for the arts, committed to engaging individuals of all ages in diverse and inspiring experiences through education, exhibitions and events.
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Materials provided by BIG