Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

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 crossfertilization. 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.

Size

356,000 sq ft on 14 acres, 1000 car garage on 4 acres

SEE MORE safdiearchitects