The new 42,000 sf home for The Beverly Arts Center is a multi-disciplinary cultural center located on two acres of land in the Chicago neighborhood of Beverly.
The site, located in a designated redevelopment district, was formerly the home of a long time abandoned gas station, deteriorated buildings, and vacant properties. The assembled property, with its high visibility, allowed for the construction of a project with a significant community impact.
Housed in the new facility are a 425 seat performance hall, a training theater, an art gallery, a reception room, a dance studio, a choir room, music studios, art rooms, a dark room, a retail shop, and a cafe. The “L” shaped plan of the building provides a formal face to street exposures while surrounding a lush south facing courtyard.
Large glass openings at the entry and dance studio/art gallery provide views out of the building during the day while transforming the building at night into a beacon of activity. Openings through the building to the courtyard belie the project’s mass and size.
The Beverly Arts Center, with its new community and city-wide presence, has had an immediate impact on not only the formerly struggling major intersection but the entire south-west side neighborhood. Cultural venues and programming, never before available, are now easily accessible to surrounding communities and have provided both a community center of gravity, and a catalyst for current and future economic development.
Additional Images
Theater Architects: Morris Architects and Planners (Melissa Neel: Working Group 1)
Construction: Walsh Construction
Photography: Craig Dugan – Hedrich Blessing