Title: Alpharetta Arts Center
Location of Proejct: Alpharetta, GA
Project Completion Date: 2019
Firm Name: Houser Walker Architecture

Short Description: The Alpharetta Art Center renovates and transforms a public library designed by noted architect Anthony Ames to serve as the main public facility for arts in the community. A cornerstone of the City of Alpharetta’s “Garden and Arts District”, the structure and grounds feature improved pedestrian circulation through a park-like landscape, with sculptures, outdoor gathering and performance spaces, and new connections back to Alpharetta’s burgeoning downtown. Active studio production programs will relocate to the new center and will benefit from larger studios with controllable, natural light and a large gallery and black box theater to engage the community.

Architect's Statement: The Alpharetta Art Center was initiated after a long-public input process to create a new home for the City of Alpharetta’s arts programs, with a focus on studios, performance venues, and display space. The existing structure – constructed as the Alpharetta Public Library and designed by noted Atlanta architect Anthony Ames – is a 10,000 sf structure that was completed in 1989.

Spatially, Ames’ library design was a square volume, with a concentrated poche mass of service spaces that pinwheel around the entry to the building. A long floor to ceiling glass block ribbon wall divided an outdoor walkway from the interior. The building was insular however, with a small, continuous ribbon window at the exterior better suited for people sitting at a table gazing outward. Daylight into the space was limited there were precious views out onto the street or adjacent grounds. There were no accessible routes into the space as originally designed and the front entry’s connection to the street was a narrow and non-accessible sidewalk. Unfortunate modifications made over the years added some improved accessibility but further compromised the building’s integrity and the site’s connection to the surrounding neighborhood.

Program for the Center includes: flexible studio spaces that accommodate light activity programs like painting and sewing; heavy arts studio to accommodate sculpture, ceramics, and other arts programs that require specialized equipment; a media studio that can also double as a community meeting room; a black box theater that can hold audiences between 50-250 people, and a large, flexible use space which can be reconfigured for special events such as a gallery exhibition, artist lecture, auction, performances, galas, etc.

Our design approach consisted of three primary concerns: restoring the key design elements of the original library; updating the program to provide active studio spaces that could be modified over time; and to create a stronger connection to the immediate neighborhood and nearby downtown as the cornerstone of Alpharetta’s “Garden and Arts District”.

The design preserves the overall envelope and iconic elements of the original building, including the piano curved glass block wall, exterior metal panel cladding, and overall building entry location. As part of the updating, a more energy efficient envelope was created, including replacing all windows, doors, and removing and updating envelope behind the metal panels. The exterior canopy, and existing terrace were reconfigured to suit the building’s new purposes. At the interior, most of the original finishes had been severely compromised or removed over time. After completing archival research, the new design preserves the overall spatial structure and palate of Ames’ original design (which featured highly figured sheetrock surfaces with neutral paint colors) and creates a new conversation by introducing more overtly textural materials such as stained concrete and highly figured wood veneers.

The Center’s spatial organization was created to provide a fixed “core” that would allow a variety of uses to be accommodated over time. The ‘front of house’ was designed to house art exhibitions, performances and special events. Portable art walls and adjustable lighting allow for gallery flexibility. A moveable wall allows the black box theater to open to the gallery and expand seating for large productions or events. The reception desk mirrors the glass block geometry while a folding panel system opens to reveal a serving buffet for events. The ‘back of house’ portions of the center were designed to support the more messy functions associated with producing art. The studios accommodate sculpture, pottery, ceramics, painting, quilting, etc. New sections of floor to ceiling glass along the Canton Street elevation provides views into the gallery and provides direct indoor/ outdoor connections with the new park-like landscape and expanded porch.

In connecting the Center back to the community, the design began by recognizing there were no meaningful exterior gathering spaces, either at the building itself or in the adjacent garden space. Our response began by creating a newly landscaped “front yard”. The existing approach sidewalk was expanded in size and a new connecting sidewalk towards Alpharetta’s downtown core was created. The design also expands the Center’s “front porch”, reorienting it and extending further into the park-like landscape. The porch will allow outdoor performances to be held and is visibly connected to the interior via a new glass box expansion space within the Gallery. . Fixed sculpture podiums are distributed throughout the lawn to host a rotating selection of artwork. The parking lot is designed to host large social events such as food trucks, outdoor art, and weekend fairs. Native plants were distributed back throughout the garden and as many invasive species removed as possible. Most importantly, treatment of the site’s edge spaces are planted in a manner that reinforces the already established “Garden District” typology, with landscape planting allowing clear sightlines to the building.