PROJECT TEAM:
The Freelon Group, Design Architect
Collins Cooper Carusi, Architect of Record
Thinkwell, Entertainment and Conceptualization

The Center for Puppetry Arts (the Center) – the institution and the building – embodies the theatrical and playful spirit of puppetry.  Animated and iconic.  Mysterious and magical.  Playful yet poignant.  The new Center for Puppetry Arts will be a building worthy of the institution’s vision - and its unique place among cultural institutions both nationally and globally.

The program is broken into simple bars, or fingers, each sized according to the spatial needs and proportions best suited to individual program spaces:  galleries, dining, atrium, circulation, theater, administration, etc. The fingers gently bend up and down to accommodate the sloping nature of the site and functional requirements: rising up to form an entry, sloping downward to accommodate vehicles underground, lifting up at the rooftop to form stepped amphitheater seating, or penetrating downward into the earth to bring vertical circulation to arriving visitors coming out of the parking garage. Floor levels are coordinated with the existing building, thereby seamlessly tying together active programs in the new and existing facilities alike.

Like a theatrical set, the building stands apart from its surroundings, bringing visibility to the institution and a bold form that will be the centerpiece of the Center’s new branding. This dynamic form also signals to visitors, both young and old, that they are about to enter a special world of wonder and magic. With select apertures and perforated metal skin, the center transforms from solid building by day to a diaphanous shell by night.

Well before entering the building, animated features bring the physical form to life while engaging visitors. Set within a large vitrine that is highly visible from the street, a monstrous green wall of fuzzy muppet fur comes to life triggered by the movements of visitors as they make their way through the space. Hidden in the thick fur are multiple sets of eyes – occasionally one set of furry eyelids opens and the wall “looks” around, tracking passersby. They whimsically react to visitors with raised eyebrows, a blank stare, or a wink. When one pair shuts, another opens.