Tag Archives: architeaser

April 30 Architeaser

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Yesterday focused on the entrance to the old Museum of Fine Arts.  When the new Arkansas Arts Center opened in May 1963, the architectural firm of Ginocchio, Cromwell, Carter, Dees & Neyland (now the Cromwell firm) had designed a new entrance.  This one created a more modern look and reoriented the building toward the south and MacArthur Park.  Just off the entrance and lobby are studios, galleries and a theatre.

Since the 2000 renovation and expansion, this has functioned as an entrance for the Museum School and the Children’s Theatre and is now most commonly referred to as the lower lobby.

As this is the last day of April, it will be the last daily Architeaser.  Starting in May, it will shift to a twice a week (generally Tuesdays and Thursdays) feature.

April 29 Architeaser

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IMG_5067Later this week the Arkansas Arts Center will host its Tabriz fundraiser event.  In keeping with that, today’s Architeaser features the entrance to the old Museum of Fine Arts in MacArthur Park.  When the Museum was reorganized into the Arkansas Arts Center and the building was expanded, the former entrance was incorporated into the new building.

The original building was designed by architect H. Ray Burks.  It was built by the Works Progress Administration and incorporates the art deco and neo-classical elements which were usually found in WPA buildings.  The entrance typifies this.  The arches contain the ridges, clean lines and fluting often found in art deco as well as classical figures in a frieze.

April 26 Architeaser

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IMG_4940In 1986, the main City Hall building and the former Central Fire Station building were renovated.  A new structure was built to link the two buildings.  The front facade of that structure of that structure is featured today.

The structure is basically an enclosed walkway to connect the two buildings.  Doing any more would have required extensive redesign since the two buildings have different levels for their stories.  The structure mimics the neo-classical style found in both the City Hall and Fire Station buildings without matching either of the original buildings.

With this construction, each of the buildings in the City Hall complex on the corner of Markham and Broadway is now connected.

This complex does not house all of the City offices downtown.  For three blocks to the west of City Hall, there are five other City buildings. In addition there are other City structures downtown and in a variety of locations.

April 25 Architeaser

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IMG_4948In 1953, forty years after the original Central Fire Station opened, a new addition was constructed on the north side.  It was designed by K. E. N. Cole Jr. during the administration of Little Rock Mayor Pratt Remmel and Fire Chief Gann Nalley.  This structure was used for additional offices and storage.

It is fairly representative of mid-century government architecture.  With a flat roof and clean lines, it uses buff brick (which more closely matches the 1936 garage and 1938 jail than the 1913 fire station). The building features corrugated metal used as a decorative accent.  It does not appear there was any attempt to try to seamlessly blend in with the original building.

As part of the mid 1980s renovation, new windows were installed in this structure, but the original window style remains.  Today the building houses various City offices.

April 24 Architeaser

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IMG_4942In 1938 a new jail building was constructed north of the original City Hall building.  It was constructed by the WPA in a simplified Art Deco style.  It is connected to the Garage building.  The buff brick was accented by come granit flourishes and a frieze.  When the jail was closed, the building was used for storage.  From 1960 to 2007 it was used for storage of old files and some equipment.  Also during that time period some windows and doors were bricked in as well as other exterior and interior modifications were made.

Some of the exterior bars and interior jail doors still exist.  The exterior bars are visible today.  In 2007, the storage was relocated to an off-site location.  A portion of the old jail has been retrofitted as a fitness area for City employees.  In addition, the Parks and Recreation Department continues to use part of the facility for equipment storage and maintenance offices.

 

April 23 Architeaser

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IMG_4944In 1936 a City Garage was constructed behind City Hall (on the north side of the property).  Previously there had been a non-City factory on this site.

It was built in a very utilitarian style with a brick facade on the east and west faces and a curved Quonset roof atop brick walls on the north and south faces.  Over the years the building has been modified repeatedly (as is evidenced by the various shades of buff bricks visible not only in this picture but also throughout the actual building).

At one time offices were put in part of the building but they have been removed.  Today it is used to store City vehicles.

 

April 19 Architeaser

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IMG_4907The City Hall 105 week of the Architeaser wraps up with this unique perspective of City Hall.  Though there are offices on four levels of City Hall, there is only one spot where one can see all four levels.  The western edge of the central staircase affords the only view from the basement to the third floor.  The central staircase is symmetrical from the first floor up to the third floor. But from the first floor to the basement, there is only one flight of stairs going down (on the west side).

Today’s Architeaser goes from the basement up to the third floor of Charles Thompson’s edifice.  When the building opened, the basement was used but most of the third floor was unfinished.  The ceramic tile pattern on the third floor is different from the other floors.  The eastern stairwell went to the third floor balcony which overlooked the City Council chambers.

Over time a few offices started migrating up there.  In 1929, when the Museum of Antiquities and Natural History (now Museum of Discovery) was “given” to the City and moved into City Hall, the museum had to finish out its own space.  It was not until New Deal programs needed local offices and took up residence on the third floor that all of City Hall was occupied.  At that point the building was over 25 years old.

The balcony in the City Council chambers was removed in the 1960s when additional office space was needed.  At that point in time, the high ceiling in the chambers was lowered and more offices were installed on what had been the balcony level.

Unfortunately photos of the old Council chambers do not seem to exist.