Title: Art for Art's Sake
Location of Proejct: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Project Completion Date: 2015
Firm Name: STITCH Design Shop

Short Description: The Art for Art’s Sake (AFAS) Center for the Arts is the culmination of two projects: ARTivity on the Green, a dynamic urban art park and a 3-story building dedicated to the advancement of the arts. Together they have worked in unison to provide unique spaces for the non-profit (AFAS) to uphold their mission, “To Build, Educate, and Celebrate Community Through Art.” Day or night, the creative campus of AFAS is electrified with a healthy cross-pollination of the community all enjoying and embracing the arts both inside and out.

Architect's Statement: Art for Art’s Sake (AFAS) had a vision; to take a dilapidated urban parking lot in a “no man’s land” section of Downtown Winston-Salem, and transform it into a green space for the community to experience and celebrate art. ARTivity wanted to feel larger than its 1/2-acre footprint, so an 8” wide “AFAS Red” ground line was conceived to visually connect the entire block. The Red line meanders around the city sidewalks and directs pedestrians to the park’s center. Once you arrive at the site there are six entrances that respond to the lot’s physical orientation and natural access points. Upon entry, the single line splits into three lines: two outside lines and one central line. The outside lines leave the concrete surface to form seating benches and raised thresholds made of steel. As the outside lines converge at the center, they thrust upwards creating 12 steel masts varying in height from 35’, 40’ and 45’. The central line on all six pathways lead directly to the center point and create the tallest single 50’ mast. Collectively, these 13 masts form an iconic structure called the “Tower Cloud,” which emits water vapor on the hour. The structure is a nod to Winston-Salem’s manufacturing past, and the iconic profile of the historic RJ Reynolds Building just a few blocks away. Pathways weave through rolling Lounge Berms inspired by the nearby foothills and offer views of a 124’ long mural wall where the general public display their talents. At the south end of the site sits the “Ribbon Shelter.” Often used as a performance venue, its 7 undulating ribbons of ¾” plate steel take their form from music notes. The ribbons bend to create integrated seating areas and artist easels.

Adjacent is The AFAS Center for the Arts, a result of many site plan and floor plan test fits that responded to the needs of the client, and the need to create a physical extension for ARTivity on the Green. The byproduct of those test fits yielded a three-story, 15,000 SF structure that warranted a public and transparent ground floor for Red Dog Gallery and Studio 2 to feature artwork from over 400 AFAS member artists. The ground floor galleries are wrapped on the perimeter with floor to ceiling glass to maximize views of the park; while also putting the artwork on display for passing pedestrians. The ground floor level is rotated counterclockwise off axis from the city grid and pulled back from the property line to create an “Alley Gallery” between the building and the park. The cantilevered section of the second and third floors above help protect the Alley Gallery from the elements and creates the solar shading for the South facing glass of the galleries. The cantilevered section of these two floors is wrapped in polycarbonate panels that serves to diffuse natural light into the spaces. This cladding choice creates the optimal interior lighting environment for the Unleashed Arts Center, rentable ARTivity Studios, and an Architectural Office. Diffused natural light was a strong desire for the future occupants of the building given their trades and became the dominate element for the facade. The polycarbonate panels are cut away in key locations on the buildings elevation to allow for framed views of the park and to create outdoor balconies. At night, the polycarbonate panels are back-lit creating an illuminated hovering cube that showcases the occupants’ silhouettes. The third and final floor is the organizations home base for carrying out their mission, as well as holding board meetings and community outreach programs. The AFAS Center for the Arts has truly become an artistic beacon for the community, while also providing a modern and iconic extension to the park.