Stella Boyle Smith Center

Arkansas Symphony orchestra

Little Rock, Arkansas

Size 18,500 sq/ft

Completion Date 2024

Project Details New Construction Site Work

Services Site Selection, Feasibility Study,
Planning, Programming, Architecture, Interior Design Furnishings Selection

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra broke ground in August 2023 on its new Stella Boyle Smith Music Center in Little Rock’s East Village, creating a first-of-its-kind music-focused headquarters for the state. The new state-of-the-art facility, is the Symphony’s first permanent home in its 58-year history.

The new music center is a radically-welcoming hub of musical activity for all Arkansans, serving youth and adults of all ages with an array of musical offerings. The building provides access to music education, music performances, and music making to residents of all corners of the state through new spaces and a broadcast and recording studio. The new music center boasts contemporary features for children and adults that participate in programs, including music classrooms and practice spaces, ensuring a conducive environment for musical growth and creativity. The space includes Morgan Hall, which serves as a versatile space for rehearsals and concerts, fostering an immersive musical experience.

Sitting in an industrial cove, east of Interstate 30, the exterior is economically constructed of flat and ribbed tilt up concrete walls and curtainwall. Glass ends of the bisecting lobby allow the walls and curtainwalls to turn inside where they are selectively clad with a wood acoustical wall finish that helps introduce and define the areas where the music occurs. The more refined instrument grade wood reveals the beauty of both the music and the instruments that produce it.

The main performance space which was strategically placed on the corner is partially clad with folded and tessellated vertical metal panels that are drawn open across full height glazing, much like curtains revealing the double height volume of the performance space. In the office area, transparent glass office fronts allow both for collaboration and awareness and allow daylight to flood the space to the shared meeting spaces.

The new Stella Boyle Smith Music Center officially opened the doors to their new home this September to rave reviews from the community. It is truly a beautiful place to make music.