Barton Myers Associates, Inc. and Architekton have made the Tempe Center for the Arts greener than it was ever before. While enveloping its various pavilions within a sculptural lobby, they revivified the site with the inclusion of a 16-pitch, 10-layer protective roof that promises acoustic mitigation and a varying natural light shelter against the inconsiderate desert conditions. Moreover, the roof facilitates rainwater collection for rendering the adjacent pond with an aquatic glow.
The 90,000 sq ft site houses two high-tech flexible performance spaces, a ‘Smithsonian-criteria’ gallery, lakeside multipurpose room, café and 17-acre arts park. The center is adorned with a unifying 3-foot thick circular concrete wall that creates a 360-degree iconic landform. A profuse use of traditional metals, stone, colors and native patterns is a sort of tribute to the indigenous tribes and their art.
