Trahan Architects And Spackman Mossop Michaels Revealed Today Their Design For The Renewal Of Luther George Park With A Generous Grant From The Walton Family Foundation In Conjunction With Their Design Excellence Program.

Spackman Mossop Michaels and Trahan Architects revealed today their design for the renewal of Luther George Park located in downtown Springdale, Arkansas. The project was commissioned by the Downtown Springdale Alliance which received a grant from the Walton Family Foundation in conjunction with their Design Excellence Program to jump-start implementation of its downtown master plan with the expansion and renovation of Luther George Park. The park is part of the city’s larger plan to create vibrant public spaces and plazas, with the flexibility to support public art, performing arts and seasonal outdoor markets.

Luther George Park is conceived as a connective gateway bridging the active corridor of the Razorback Greenway with the main street life of Emma Avenue. Set along Spring Creek in downtown Springdale, Arkansas the 14-acre park fosters healthy community engagement by providing a sustainable venue for recreation, play and outdoor performances. “The Downtown Springdale Alliance is very pleased with the work of the design team of Spackman Mossop Michaels and Trahan Architects. Luther George Park redesigned will be transformative to the beautiful diverse culture and vibrancy of downtown Springdale,” said Jill Dabbs, executive director of The Downtown Springdale Alliance.

The park draws its inspiration from the native landscapes of Arkansas and the cultural richness of the local community. The establishment of over 200 new trees in the park is built on the native ecosystems of the region and will provide shade for the community and habitat for local wildlife. “The park is about bringing people together from across the community and providing a space to connect to one another, and to the natural world,” said Wes Michaels, ASLA, founding principal of Spackman Mossop Michaels. The Performance Pavilion is located on the park’s central axis – the dynamic form twists and straddles the pathway to form an inviting gateway into the park. Fronting the great lawn, the pavilion will host performances of up to 3,000 people.

The shell leans back toward the earth fronting the small lawn which enables small events like movie night in the park to occur for 50-100 people. This innovative dual-sided arrangement is achieved by integrating the performance power and theatrical rigging into the shell – allowing for a myriad of flexible uses. When not hosting a performance, the shell acts as a shade canopy welcoming the community to gather beneath its sculptural wing-like form. A curving ramp and earth berm along the stage’s back edge seamlessly blend the platform with the landscape – providing everyone with equal access. The shell of the performance pavilion is constructed from weathering steel sheets. The raw steel will patina over time to reveal the nuances of the environmental conditions amplified by the torqueing geometry – taking on a rich and earthy finish. “We believe strongly in the power of landscapes to inform our architecture – the performance pavilion draws inspiration from the rolling hills of the landscape and the strong axial connection between the river and downtown Springdale. It is both an icon and deeply embedded in the context,” said Trey Trahan, FAIA, founder & CEO of Trahan Architects. Trahan Architects is a multi-disciplinary firm with projects that include the renovation of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans and the Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

Trahan Architects is ranked the number one design firm by Architect 50, the annual ranking by Architect magazine, the official publication of American Institute of Architects which topped the list by building “dramatic, sumptuous and well-detailed projects.” Spackman Mossop Michaels is an award-winning international office for urban strategy and landscape architecture. Their mission is to create places that people love to use every day.

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