Trahan Architects and Spackman Mossop Michaels have revealed their design for the renewal of Luther George Park located in downtown Springdale, Arkansas. Commissioned by the Downtown Springdale Alliance, the park is a part of the city's larger plan to create dynamic public spaces and plazas that can support public art, performing arts, and seasonal outdoor markets.

"The Downtown Springdale Alliance is thrilled with the work of the design team of Spackman Mossop Michaels and Trahan Architects. Luther George Park redesigned will be transformative to the beautiful, diverse culture and vibrancy of downtown Springdale," said Jill Dabbs, executive director of The Downtown Springdale Alliance, in a statement. 

The 14-acre park will facilitate community engagement by providing a sustainable venue for recreation, play, and outdoor performance. The design draws its inspiration from the native landscapes of Arkansas. Two-hundred new trees will be introduced to the site, providing shade for the local community and habitat for local wildlife.

"The park is about bringing people together from across the community and providing a space to connect to one another, and to the natural world," said Wes Michaels, ASLA, founding principal of Spackman Mossop Michaels, in a statement. 

The Performance Pavilion is a central focal point of the new park. Its organic form creates twists and lightly touches the ground, giving it an illusion of floatation. The pavilion will host performances of up to 3,000 people. Moreover, the shell can also host smaller events, such as move nights for groups of fifty to one-hundred people.

Trey Trahan, FAIA, founder & CEO of Trahan Architects, said in a statement: "We believe strongly in the power of landscapes to inform our architecture – the performance pavilion draws inspiration from the rolling hills of the landscape and the strong axial connection between the river and downtown Springdale. It is both an icon and deeply embedded in the context."