Art Center Pleasanton California

There's nothing to do with fire, yes its just name of an art center building provides many art work from famous artist. This art center building located at Pleasanton California  originally designed by ELS Architecture and Urban Design provide us a great experience entering a central place carry amazing art.

 Description from designer : "We felt the historic structure should be clearly identifiable both inside and out while remaining a strong, functional part of the plan. The project site boundaries were very close to the building, less than 15 feet on the civic and park sides,” says Kurt Schindler, principal, ELS Architecture and Urban Design. “The building is relatively small, and the budget limited, while the appetite for activities to be included was large.” Additionally, the design needed to balance the needs of its visual and performing arts constituents so everyone would feel comfortable using the facility.

ELS decided a two-pronged approach was best. The firm restored the existing firehouse, converting the 812-square-foot apparatus bay on the ground floor into an intimate gallery space then incorporated a new 1194-square-foot addition to serve as a second gallery space. The second-floor of the firehouse, formerly the dormitory and kitchen area, now hosts the center’s administrative offices.

Next door, a two-story, 240-seat Studio Theater was constructed. Inside the theater boasts rich hues on the walls and aisle rails to add depth without drawing attention away from the stage performances.

The upper floor of the new theater building houses two art studio classrooms to host educational programs and events; a second-story pedestrian glass bridge links back to the old firehouse to facilitate circulation of the administrative staff. A 1000-square-foot, glass-walled lobby rests between the center's two structures to visually separate the gallery and theater functions. Glass marquees with abstract floral patterns, designed by English artist Martin Donlin, adorn the exterior entrance. Mirroring the variety of functions supported within its walls, the center's façade encompasses an assortment of materials. The park-side exterior wall features a skin of vertically aligned soft cedar wood planks, which offer an organic context to the project. Saturated plaster around the main entrance and glass inclusions adds a grounding depth that balances the contrast between the rustic brick aesthetic of the original firehouse and the addition's sleek and contemporary style.

Schindler notes that his favorite part of the project was collaborating with the community’s Task Force, which had a total of about 20 members, during the programming and concept design processes. “It was very exciting,” he says. “Focusing the discussion, identifying opportunities, developing alternatives, and developing a consensus were challenging, but necessary to gain community support.” images via els and urban design