| Editors’ Favorite Projects of 2012 | |
| 1 | ArtsQuest Center |
| Spillman Farmer Architects | |
| 2 | eBay Offices |
| OSO Architecture | |
| 3 | Joe Fresh Flagship |
| Burdifilek | |
| 4 | Munich Store |
| Deardesign | |
| 5 | Salon Urbain |
| Sid Lee Architecture & Ædifica |
|
| 6 | J House |
| dash design | |
| 7 | Workshop Kitchen & Bar |
| SOMA Architects | |
The blast furnaces in Bethlehem, Penn. stood for decades as a symbol of America’s industrial might, churning out giant steel beams for use in structures like the Chrysler Building and the Golden Gate Bridge. So when steel production came to an end in 1996 and the stacks finally went silent, the community faced the tall task of reinventing itself—not to mention dealing with one of the nation’s largest brownfields.
The new ArtsQuest Center, designed by Bethlehem-based Spillman Farmer Architects, represents one of the boldest steps in the effort to transform the once-abandoned area into a dynamic, sustainable hub. The four-story performing arts center stands in the shadow of the blast furnaces, and echoes the industrial heritage of the site with pre-cast concrete, expansive glass panels and a skeletal steel frame painted in International Orange. Surfaces covered in two-toned Pennsylvania ash, leather-wrapped cinema door pulls and steel plate counters warm the interiors and invigorate the spirits of visitors.
The center has become a powerful cultural incubator since opening its doors last year, hosting over 300 live performances and providing space for exhibitions, education and retail.
“We saw this as an opportunity to make architecture that is clear, precise and honest; one that honors the site’s industrial past while crafting spaces that feel as authentic as the industrial buildings that surround it,” says Joseph N. Biondo, design principal with Spillman Farmer. “We achieved this by creating a building which was conceived as a finely tuned music box with public spaces opening up to and fronting the industrial machines; a community living room which shows clear evidence of how and why it was made.”
Spillman Farmer Architects
(610) 865-2621
www.spillmanfarmer.com
Editor's Thoughts:
“The ArtsQuest Center is perhaps one of
my favorite projects of the year, because it proves that reinvention is possible without forgetting where we’ve been.
The steel jobs may be gone, but this
community’s legacy lives on thanks to some truly inspired architecture.”
—Adam Moore