The Arkansas Museum of Art in Little Rock, USA, has undergone a major renovation and is set to open to the public on April 22, 2023. This project is a collaboration between Studio Gang, Polk Stanley Wilcox, and the landscape and urban design firm SCAPE. Their goal is to highlight the museum’s new architectural identity and transform it into a leading cultural institution in the region. A standout feature of the renovation is the newly completed concrete folded roof, which extends along the entire length of the building. This roof unites both the new structures and the renovated spaces, creating a cohesive architectural statement for the museum.
Studio Gang’s design process began with an in-depth study of the original 1937 building and its eight subsequent additions. The architects aimed to create unity and coherence among the various buildings, systems, and functional areas while preserving significant historical elements. To achieve this, a new central spine was designed to run the full length of the museum, linking interior spaces with the surrounding landscape. This spine introduces natural light into the building and expands sightlines, offering visitors new opportunities to engage with and explore the museum. The distinctive folded roof also establishes a unique and recognizable image for the institution.
From the outset, Studio Gang envisioned the museum as a “museum in the park,” emphasizing a clear pathway that connects the entire building with its adjacent parkland to revitalize the museum experience. By the 2010s, several museum additions had been closed off from neighboring parks due to space constraints. The architects recognized the importance of reconnecting these spaces. The new building sits within an 11-acre public landscape designed by SCAPE, inspired by Arkansas’s native ecology.
In keeping with the principle of “starting from the present,” the architects restored the museum’s historic decorative art exterior, originally designed in 1937 by architect H. Ray Burks. This limestone façade, crafted by Little Rock artist Benjamin D. Brantley, features two carved relief figures symbolizing painting and sculpture. This restoration marks the first time since 1982 that this historic decorative façade has been prominently showcased as the museum’s new north entrance. Alongside new additions, the design also incorporates the reuse and adaptation of previous structures and materials, renovating existing spaces to align with the museum’s evolving mission.
“Studio Gang’s uniqueness lies in its ongoing exploration of each building’s logic, addressing unique challenges in every project, and drawing inspiration from extensive research.” – Architect Mohsen Mostafavi, author of Studio Gang: Architecture (Phaidon, 2020)
Studio Gang, founded by Jeanne Gang and headquartered in Chicago, is an architectural and urban design firm with additional offices in New York, Paris, and San Francisco. Their current cultural and civic projects span the Americas and include the expansion of the American Museum of Natural History, the University of Chicago Paris Center expansion, the new U.S. Embassy in Brasilia, and the expansion of Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
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