IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2017 - 6

SUM OF ITS PARTS |

Adding Up Design Elements

The James C. Olson Performing
Arts Center on the University of
Missouri-Kansas City campus
plays a dual role: study hall for
students by day and theater by
night (pictured below).

NEUTRAL
COLORS +
HOSPITALITY
+ SECRET
SPACES inspire a
welcoming multiuse
space with a
dramatic flair.

By | Kate Rockwood

Photos by: Michael Robinson

An intriguing directive was given to Helix Architecture + Design
for the renovation and expansion of the multipurpose James C.
Olson Performing Arts Center on the University of MissouriKansas City campus: "cocktail lounge meets university," says
Alissa Wehmueller, IIDA, LEED AP, 2017 IIDA Member of the
Year, principal, Helix, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
By day, the shared arts center is home to hundreds of UMKC
students who can be found rehearsing in the theater and studying
in the building's lobby. By night, the space welcomes patrons
of the Kansas City Repertory Theatre for a show and a night
out on the town. Wehmueller and her team aimed for a "happy
marriage" of durability and design-with a dash of drama-to
serve both groups.

A NEUTRAL CANVAS

A COZY LIVING ROOM

HIDDEN SPACES

Wehmueller approached the lobby's color
scheme as a stage of its own, opting for
bright white walls, charcoal floors, and a
minimalistic hanging light display. "They'll
do different exhibitry and instillations with
the different shows, so when it's time for
A Christmas Carol, they can bring in a lot
of decorative elements to transform the
space," Wehmueller says. With students
coming and going through the lobby
space all day long-studying at café tables
along the lobby's windowed walls-the
dark flooring helps hide whatever messes
might be tracked in. The rich gray hue was
also carried onto the walls of the Spencer
Theatre, creating a black box effect that
wouldn't distract from the theatrics inside.

Leaning into the center's hospitality side,
Wehmueller sought to create a lobby
environment that would encourage patrons
to linger and mingle after the final curtain
drops-but wouldn't feel too buttoned-up for
students using the space to study or socialize
on a regular afternoon. Inspired by the idea
of a cozy living room, she opted for a floorto-ceiling wood installation near the bar,
reminiscent of a hearth (albeit with a large
TV feature screen rather than a crackling
fire). "We talked a lot about the pattern in
which the wood was installed-that it wasn't
just a straight wood installation," Wehmueller
says. "It's a little bit more of that dynamic
angle, allowing the pattern to create this sense
of warmth."

Given the center's dual usage,
Wehmueller faced a challenge when
it came to designing a dedicated
space where production souvenirs
and trinkets could be sold. "How do
we create a visually fun retail piece
in that lobby that at the same time
could be secured so that students
don't have access during the day-
right in the middle of the space?"
Her solution was a gray box that
folds up into the wall, blending
seamlessly into its charcoal
backdrop. "If you're looking at
photos when the retail store isn't
open, you probably wouldn't even
notice it's there."

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