Herrig Center for the Arts is located in the heart of Bradenton’s urban core, off the main artery of 9th Street West. It situates itself amongst a variety of adjacent program, including museums, a performing arts center, and the Bradenton Riverwalk – which is just a five-minute walk to the North. This leaves the site in an area of bustling pedestrian traffic; the design for the new Art Center uses the site as a way to introduce passerby and artist, creating a new interaction with the community.

The new 25,600 sf Art Center pushes the physical structure back from the street, opening up an “Artist’s Plaza” to 9th Street West. This green space becomes a catalyst for artist exposure; it is an exterior market space where artists can present their work to the pedestrian walking by, creating an area of conversation and commerce. The plaza leads directly to the main entrance of the building. This opens up to the Instructor’s Gallery, which is a linear core of visual transparency, and connects to the other spaces of the building.

The form of the building is inspired by the idea of dichotomy. There are two readable masses of the building; one is organized more linearly and contains the studio workspaces. These spaces are detailed to serve the specifics of each form of artmaking. The other form is a curved, molded mass vessel containing the gallery spaces. It is inspired by the method of sculpture. The workspaces orient around the gallery to support its form. In the center of the building is an exterior courtyard, which is designed to be an exterior extension of adjacent interior program. This space, in conjunction with the Instructor’s Gallery, serve as interface between artist, visitors, and exhibits.

AIA Tampa Bay Merit Award for Architecture (2021)