Pittsburgh Museum, Invited Competition

The African American Cultural Center of Greater Pittsburgh (the Center) tells the African American story through cultural and architectural expression. Located at the intersection of Liberty and William Penn Place, the new facility is modern in aesthetic, but the design acknowledges existing historical buildings - preserving them as part of the Center’s contextual legacy.

The building houses a 300 plus-seat theater designed to accommodate an array of performances from dance and to drama, to music and lectures. Smaller venues including the café, multi-purpose room, and main lobby allow for a variety of offerings ranging from formal to informal. Gallery spaces are configured to accommodate permanent and changing exhibitions while technology allows visitors to be immersed in the Center’s virtual experience, engaging African American Culture through hands-on involvement in exhibit content and multi-sensory exhibits.

The Liberty Street elevation forms a proscenium which frames the restored fronts of three historic buildings. These facades appear as a stage prop held in place by a steel armature. The generous expanse of glass and openings in the restored facades visually connect the life of the street with movement of patrons in the lobby.

The theater interrupts the angular geometry of the lobby. Its curvilinear form provides an intervention and a melodic counterpoint to the building’s rhythmic grid. Rotated off axis, it re-orients visitors to pay homage to the center of Pittsburgh’s African American heritage - the former intersection of Wylie Avenue and Fullerton Street. The theater is carefully sited so that the historic Hill District, both symbolically and geographically, sits backstage. The repeated juxtaposition of old and new serves to remind visitors of the past, while looking outward and upward to the future.