Luther George Park in vibrant Springdale, Arkansas City has just opened its doors to the public. The much-needed green public space was designed by Trahan Architects and landscape firm SMM Architects and features a striking centrepiece – an undulating spatial installation that plays the role of a canopy to shelter recreation, play, as well as outdoor performances.
Explore Luther George Park and its new undulating canopy
The spatial structure, titled the Performance Pavilion, was developed in partnership with The Downtown Springdale Alliance with funding provided by The Walton Family Foundation Design Excellence Program. It is located at the heart of the park, straddling its main axis and becoming at once a beacon for the wider open space and a sort of gateway or viewing frame for the park.
The architects explain in their project statement: 'The innovative dual-sided design of the Performance Pavilion allows for flexible use; when not hosting events, its sculptural, wing-like form serves as a shade canopy. A curving ramp and earth berm seamlessly integrate the stage into the landscape, ensuring equal access for Springdale’s community.'
The structure is made of 1cm-thick weathering steel. Its elements were manufactured by Netherlands-based CIG Architecture, which is known for its work with renowned artists Anish Kapoor, Frank Stella, and Olafur Eliasson. This raw steel shell is set to gain a patina over the course of its life, adding texture and dynamism to the composition, while highlighting the passing of time.
The architects add: 'The roof features a ruled surface that defines each panel joint, showcasing its intricate construction, while the underside is crafted to blend structural integrity with acoustic considerations. The design achieves a remarkable 150ft span with only two ground connections, lending the structure a weightless appearance.'
Meanwhile, the wider park, which features some 200 newly planted trees, was designed to enhance the area's native ecosystems and provide shade and habitat for local wildlife – marking a project conceived to look after humans and wildlife alike.
-
Soft rock: Kelly Wearstler unveils new stone furniture with ARCA at Design MiamiKelly Wearstler has joined forces once more with stone brand ARCA to create interlaced onyx furniture with a soft appearance
-
‘Architecture Encounters’ traces period-defining built environment stories in Togo and West Africa‘Architecture Encounters’ (Les Rencontres Architecturales de Lomé) in Togo celebrates and explores West Africa’s rich heritage through the prism of conservation and transformation, kicking off with two days of talks, workshops, exhibitions and tours at Palais de Lomé
-
Silent running: Lightship’s AE.1 electric Travel Trailer makes its debut as the Cosmos EditionAll-American RV start-up Lightship has launched its first production edition, the AE.1 Cosmos Edition. We take a tour of this electrified home from home
-
A vibrant new waterfront park by Scape opens at China Basin in San FranciscoA waterfront park by leading studio Scape at China Basin provides dynamic public spaces and coastal resilience for San Francisco's new district of Mission Rock
-
Tekαkαpimək Contact Station: a building ‘as inspiring as the endless forest and waterways of the land’The new Tekαkαpimək Contact Station by Saunders Architecture with Reed Hilderbrand and Alisberg Parker Architects, opens at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in the USA
-
Entelechy II: architect John Portman's majestic beach home hits the marketEntelechy II, architect John Portman's beach residence in Georgia, USA, goes on the market; roll up, roll up for a home that is as grand as it is playful
-
First look: Honolulu's Victoria Place blends cosmopolitan living with Hawaii life and natureVictoria Place is a new residential tower at Honolulu's Ward Village; take a first look at its interiors
-
A look inside the home of George Homsey, one of the fathers of pioneering California modernist community Sea RanchGeorge Homsey's home opens for the first time since his death, in 2019; see where the architect behind some of the designs for Sea Ranch, the pioneering California modernist community, lived
-
Step inside a Brooklyn Brownstone that bridges old and new'Brooklyn Brownstone' has been refreshed by Jon Powell Architects (JPA) and the result is a contemporary design rooted in modern elegance
-
The new Frederic Church Center at Olana complements its leafy Upstate New York siteTour the Frederic Church Center for Art and Landscape, now open at Olana, a historic site in Upstate New York, courtesy of architecture studio ARO
-
On a sloped Los Angeles site, a cascade of green 'boxes' offers inside outside livingUnStack, a house by FreelandBuck, is a cascading series of bright green volumes, with mountain views
