Robinson Performing Arts Center
Completed as Design Team Member at Ennead Architects
Facts & Figures
2,214 Seat Performance Hall
Conference Center
138,000 GSF
Conference Center
138,000 GSF
LIttle Rock, AR
A Dialogue of Eras and Geometries
Situated in the heart of downtown Little Rock, the Robinson Theater is a 1939 WPA-era landmark that serves as a permanent architectural set piece for the state’s capital. The project—a comprehensive renovation and expansion—reinforces the theater’s civic presence by meticulously restoring its Greek Revival and Art Deco foundations while introducing a contemporary addition that reorients the institution toward the Arkansas River.
The architectural intervention is defined by the tension between the historic masonry shell and a new, curvilinear volume housed within. Upon passing through the restored historic lobby, the visitor enters a triple-height atrium dominated by a giant, curved interior facade. This "bowl," which contains the rear of the theater, is animated by a pair of sculptural staircases that facilitate fluid movement between levels. This dramatic spatial sequence not only decongests the entry but acts as a threshold between the theater's storied past and its high-performance future.
The architectural intervention is defined by the tension between the historic masonry shell and a new, curvilinear volume housed within. Upon passing through the restored historic lobby, the visitor enters a triple-height atrium dominated by a giant, curved interior facade. This "bowl," which contains the rear of the theater, is animated by a pair of sculptural staircases that facilitate fluid movement between levels. This dramatic spatial sequence not only decongests the entry but acts as a threshold between the theater's storied past and its high-performance future.
Design Team
A Choreographed Transition from Historic Weight to Civic Transparency.
The section illustrates a transition from the compressed, neoclassical volume of the historic lobby into the soaring, triple-height atrium. This central void bridges the journey into the performance hall, a high-performance acoustic volume reclaimed from the original footprint. The sequence culminates in the Conference Rooma cantilevered glass pavilion that projects away from the historic masonry to capture panoramic views of the Arkansas River.
Reinvigorating a Classic
The performance hall itself was entirely re-envisioned. By reclaiming former conference space below, the design achieves a steeper rake and improved sightlines, allowing for a second balcony and an increased capacity of over 2,200 seats. The room’s materiality and geometry are driven by acoustic performance; folded wall planes and wood balcony faces are oriented to dampen sound while focusing the audience’s attention toward the stage. These angular motifs serve as a modern abstraction of the building’s original Art Deco DNA.