Creating a canvas for art education
School of Art and Visual Studies - University of Kentucky
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The University of Kentucky’s School of Arts and Visual Studies (SAVS) had long been housed in an inadequate, failing structure on the campus perimeter. The Leggit & Myers Tobacco Company’s processing facility, built in 1899, contained adequate square footage for the School of Arts & Visual Studies to inhabit. But, because it had experienced many architectural interventions since its original construction, only a significant renovation would make the space conducive (and safe) to creativity and learning. And make the school a destination for the arts community.
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Our challenge was designing a renovation to replicate and expand SAVS’ current facilities, anticipating how art education would evolve. We focused on amenities the department lacked, including visible wayfinding, open, collaborative spaces, natural light, and a way to stake the school’s claim within the campus and overall community. Budget was another challenge. But we were up for it.
Design plans for the renovation became more like transformation plans. Artists and designers need space to create alone, to experiment, to collaborate, to critique. We envisioned a 21st-century research laboratory that fosters collaborative, interdisciplinary projects. We created a designated space for student and faculty studios, state-of-the-art media labs, a multipurpose 3-D fabrication lab, a photography suite, a ceramics facility, a printmaking shop, a wood shop, and a metal shop. Drawing, painting, and design workshops were also part of the vision in addition to gallery areas. The balance between intimate and large spaces was crucial.
The architectural ideas were simple. Since art does a lot of the heavy lifting visually, we needed to create a neutral background that helped every artist and every visitor focus on the work. We removed many walls throughout the two-winged facility, resulting in an open loft aesthetic with stripped brick walls to expose even more of the building’s long history. Baggage doors, conveyors, and other elements were also incorporated into the design. We introduced light-filled spaces by opening up the building’s central core, transforming it into a vibrant atrium with filtered skylights. Light enters the studios from exterior windows and the atrium through new clerestory windows above storage rooms.
The new SAVS building allows the department more visibility in the community. While it’s still on the University’s sprawling campus, it’s also surrounded by accessible parking and near some of the city’s hotspots. The department has participated in the local gallery hop and hosted talks and other events, drawing crowds from all over the community. The school has added a public outreach program through its recent exhibition of museum-quality art.
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