The Kauffman Center has enlivened and accelerated the redevelopment of a transitional downtown neighborhood by drawing the public and celebrating interaction among arts groups and patrons. Sited along an escarpment, the center takes advantage of the topography with the two halls connected by a single grand foyer in the form of an expansive glazed porch contained by a glass, tent-like structure, offering sweeping views outward over the city to the south.

Composed of a proscenium theater and concert hall, and located in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, the Kauffman Center serves as a catalyst for social, educational, and economic vitality in the city and the region. The building links the Kansas City Live entertainment and Crossroads districts and brings pedestrians back to the urban core. It also encourages collaboration and interdisciplinary exploration among resident companies - as well as audience cross-fertilization. To encourage attendance, parking is located beneath the site and visitors ascend through a transparent slot between the theater shells into the communal glass lobby. The iconic geometric forms reflect the changes in the Missouri sky throughout the course of the day.

• Collaborators

  BNIM Architects: Associate Architects
  Reed Hilderbrand Associates, Inc.: Landscape Architects
  ARUP USA, Inc.: Structural/MEP/Fire Protection
  Nagata Acoustics, Inc.: Acousticians
  Theatre Projects Consultants: Theatre Design Consultants
  LAM Partners, Inc.: Lighting Consultants
  

• Awards

  World’s 15 Most Beautiful Concert Halls, Emporis International, 2014
  
  Grand Conceptor Award, American Council of Engineering Companies, 2014
  
  PCI Design Awards, Best Theatre, 2012
  
  PCI, Harry H. Edwards Industry Advancement Award, 2012
  
  GE Edison Award, General Electric, 2011
  
  Mies Crown Hall Prize Finalist, 2011

• Clients

  Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts