EACC – Fine Arts Center

EACC – Fine Arts Center

Location: Forrest City, Arkansas

Challenge: Develop a first-class performance venue at East Arkansas Community College with full, working stage with fly loft and complete support facilities. Create a signature building for the campus as well as the City of Forrest City and the region on a site bounded by a highway, the main campus drive and an existing library.

Performance: Going beyond a traditional façade, the sweeping arcs of wood and steel that symbolize the natural features of the location on Crowley’s Ridge. Each element – lobby, gallery, auditorium, black-box theater and stage – is expressed in the architecture so the program becomes evident and understandable. The building really comes to life at night with the illuminated, transparent lobby, strategic site lighting and the backlit building signs that can actually be seen from the nearby interstate.

Description: The convertible auditorium, with a total capacity of 1,100, can be divided by a moveable partition into a 500-fixed-seat theater and a banquet/exhibit hall with retractable seating for 600. The banquet/exhibit hall has extensive catering, storage and A/V support areas. There is also a 120-seat black-box theater, as well as an art gallery housing local and regional exhibits and serving as a reception space.