Conceived as a new arts hub in a rapidly changing district near downtown Omaha, an experimental theatre opens to the city outdoors through a public open space anchored with a mixed-use building. Three related projects share an integrated half-block to transform the relationship of cultural facilities and public / private space towards a community-focused urbanism. We held an open competition to select the design team for the open space and commissioned 4 artists to develop integrated functional building elements.

Jury Comments: This is a jury favorite both in overall design and its community impact. This building is an instant landmark that introduces a lot of visual and programmatic energy into a seeming void between Old Market and Dahlman. The Box Car 10 block, extracted from void of the black box, serves as a vertical icon for the project. The design and application of interior materials is disciplined and strategic including some unexpected, incredibly rich details and cleverly named spaces. In addition to creating an original design, the architect displayed an ability to collaborate with a variety of players: two owners and several artists.