The Momentary, a contemporary art space satellite to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark., is a new multidisciplinary space for visual, performing, and culinary arts.
The Wheeler Kearns Architects-designed space took a 63,000-sf decommissioned cheese factory and turned it into a cultural hub with engaging indoor and outdoor areas. Dubbed The Momentary, the design overlaps social, performance, and culinary activities with art spaces to showcase contemporary art’s role in everyday life.
The Tower, which reaches a height of 70 feet, is the largest space in the program and allows for vertical circulation up through multiple pre-existing intermediate mezzanines, which will be used for visual arts, performance, and social events. At the top of The Tower is the Tower Bar with interiors designed by James Beard Finalists Jett Butler and Stephanie Leung of FÖDA in collaboration with Wheeler Kearns Architects. Tower Bar offers panoramic views and a floor skylight looking down to the museum below. The new addition’s exterior features glass panels that pay homage to the site’s history as a hunting ground for the Osage Nation.
See Also: Valleywise Health Medical Center breaks ground in Phoenix
The Tower also features the entrance to The Container, a glass-enclosed space for events. Meanwhile, The Galleries are located in the oldest part of the original building and spans over 24,000 sf. Currently, The Galleries features The Momentary’s inaugural visual arts exhibition.
The Momentary also includes:
– The RØDE House, a multidisciplinary performance space in the old Milk Intake Room which seats upwards of 350 people. The space can either be closed or partially open-air and includes an adjustable floor system fabricated by Serapid that allows the room to be reconfigured
– Fermentation Hall, a black box theater located in the old Fermentation Room
– Three dedicated Artist-in-Residence studios designed to accommodate 2D, 3D, and digital artists
– The Breakroom, a social space off the galleries in the former employee lunch room
Outdoor space is also incorporated in the design. In collaboration with the Tulsa-based firm Howell Vancuren Landscape Architects, the landscaping includes sculptures, courtyards like the Arvest Bank Courtyard, and the 42,000-sf Momentary Green. On the east side of the Green, a canopy that is 50 feet tall and spans 13,000 square feet has been relocated from Sydney, Australia. It is a focal point for outdoor single and multi-day music festivals and also a place of shade for the public.
The project officially opened on Feb. 22, 2020.
Related Stories
University Buildings | Feb 18, 2022
On-campus performing arts centers and museums can be talent magnets for universities
Cultural facilities are changing the way prospective students and parents view higher education campuses.
Giants 400 | Nov 19, 2021
2021 Cultural Facilities Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. cultural facilities sector
Gensler, AECOM, Buro Happold, and Arup top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest cultural facilities sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2021 Giants 400 Report.
Art Galleries | Sep 16, 2021
Asia’s first global museum of contemporary visual culture to open in Hong Kong
The museum will open on Nov. 12.
Art Galleries | Oct 13, 2020
The Art Gallery of New South Wales expansion will nearly double its exhibition space
SANAA is designing the project.
Art Galleries | Mar 6, 2020
Luma Arles complex nears completion
Frank Gehry and Selldorf Architects designed the project.
Art Galleries | Feb 8, 2019
The Shed arts center includes a massive, telescoping outer shell
Diller Scofidio + Renfro designed the building.
Art Galleries | Apr 23, 2018
VCU’s Institute for Contemporary Art officially opens
Steven Holl Architects designed the building.
Art Galleries | Apr 21, 2017
The Odunpazari Modern Art Museum pays homage to Ottoman Empire era architecture
The wooden façade is a link to the history of the area as a wood market.
Art Galleries | Apr 14, 2017
Activating exteriors as gallery space
Owners would like to get more value from their exterior spaces. One architecture firm details how it made that happen for the new Whitney Museum.
Art Galleries | Jan 4, 2016
Exploring the changing landscape of public art
Sasaki's Philip Barash and Nina Chase explore the changing landscape of public art in the face of major cultural shifts, such as the proliferation of technology, social media, and tactical urbanism.