Design Award Entries

South Arkansas Arts Center Addition

Through this small building addition, the South Arkansas Arts Center is able to provide an essential need in serving the community through the arts. This project not only allows for better accessibility to all areas of the existing facility, it also expands those resources in order to provide more opportunities to those it serves.

Project Statement

This project at the South Arkansas Arts Center was the fifth addition to a decades old building that was originally an armory serving the El Dorado area. This addition provides an inviting covered entry into the vestibule, a ticket counter directly inside the front door, a commercial kitchen to meet all event needs, and a new expanded ADA compliant women’s restroom. It includes a new elevator and stairway for full accessibility to the second floor. On that second floor, the project renovates existing classrooms, adds an upstairs restroom, provides a new studio classroom space, and includes a new covered balcony area that allows for special events and a unique viewing area. Overall, this is a unique addition welcoming those from the community and provides full accessibility to all the spaces the South Arkansas Arts Center has to offer.