Public can now see design for the Jasper Arts Center portion of the Cultural Center; input still sought
The public can now view the designs of the Jasper Community Arts Commission portion of the Jasper Cultural Center.
The preliminary plans revealed during the commission’s regular meeting Tuesday afternoon show a building designed to display art in multiple galleries, host performances in a small theatre and teach classes in specialized rooms as well as provide space for other artists to utilize.
The library portion was revealed during the board of director’s meeting in December. The arts commission and library board are set to host a combined meeting at 6p.m. on January 11 at Jasper City Hall to approve the preliminary designs. Both boards are seeking input from the public as the designs are finalized.
The public is to contact the library at 812-482-2712 or contact Jasper Arts Director Kyle Rupert at 812-482-3070 with questions or comments about the design.
A story on the library portion is at this link.
Ashlyn Ackerman, an architect with the firm Weyland Ventures, the developer that encompasses CityVisions the consultant on the project, presented the commission with the designs.
The building exterior still resembles the image presented before the 2016 referendum although the housing component of that design has been removed. Ackerman explained CityVisions had decided the local market’s housing needs were being adequately served with the RiverCentre’s planned housing component.
Ackerman also revealed that the current design had reduced the overall square footage of the building by about 1,120 square feet.
The Cultural Center will be built on the site of the former Hoosier Desk building at the corner of Third Avenue and Mill Street. The building sits in a floodway—not plane—and therefore will be built two and a half feet higher than the height of that floodway. The state requires buildings to be built at least two feet above that height.
The floodway will also require the designers to include a ten-foot wide perimeter at the minimum required level. To accomplish this along Mill Street, the new building will be set back further from the roadway. Ackerman said this would also allow for more landscaping options.
To deal with the soft ground where the factory sits, Ackerman said gravel piers will be rammed into the ground to create a solid surface. Contrary to the 40-foot pylons being driven into the ground at the nearby River Centre construction site, these do not have to be driven down to bedrock to support a multiple story structure like the hotel being constructed there. The gravel piers will enable the building to be built using less expensive slab-based construction methods.
The original building will not be saved. Although the developers, library and arts commission do plan on incorporating elements salvaged from the historic factory, these elements like trusses and fire doors will only provide aesthetic touches to the modern facility.
Portions of the trusses could be used in non-loadbearing aesthetic features. Ackerman explained the fire doors could be used as doorways for the extra artist rooms included in the plans. Some of the original wood flooring will be used in the floors of the arts center.
Joe Rohleder and Todd Fromme, members of Redevelop Old Jasper Action Coalition (ROJAC), spoke about concerns they had regarding the design after the presentation.
Both agreed the building designs presented so far were excellent on the interior but they expressed concern for the external facade of the building. Rohleder told the commission the exterior that features stone, brick and glass deviated from the industrial and manufacturing background that the area was built upon.
Rohleder provided renderings of the nearby Jasper River Centre and Fairfield Hotel which displayed the buildings featuring a dark brick industrial aesthetic.
Rohleder pointed out the atrium located in the center of the building that served as a front entrance stuck out like “a sore thumb” compared to the other buildings in the area.
Jasper Arts Director Kyle Rupert told Rohleder that the designs on display at the arts commission meeting differed from a 3D rendering in that the brick coloring was lighter. He explained that the darker brick visible in the 3D flythrough better lent itself to the industrial look as well as the aesthetic of the area.
Rohleder also stated the glass used in the atrium could be a different style to add to the industrial look of the area and reflect Jasper’s manufacturing background.
Additionally, Rohleder suggested the designers consider removing the large letter signs on the two buildings in favor of a single sign labeling the building the Cultural Center with the other signs marking the separate entrances to the buildings.
Fromme explained that adding mullions—crosspieces in the window panes—could help create the industrial look Rohleder described compared to the large clear glass panels currently in the design.
Ackerman stated that design was still underway and it would likely not be cost prohibitive to add elements to create a matching aesthetic to other buildings in the area. She explained the design team was still meeting to discuss the building and it would be up to them on how things move forward.
The plans were not expected to be completed until 16 weeks after the January 11 meeting between the commission and board.
Images and the presentation are included below.
[pdf-embedder url=”https://duboiscountyfreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DD-Presentation_Arts.pdf” title=”DD Presentation_Arts”]
