A new pavilion design in Arkansas from Trahan Architects in a public park designed by Spackman Mossop Michaels is making space that encourages creative play while serving the greater needs of its community. 

Funding for the project was provided through the Walton Family Foundation Design Excellence Program. The stunning images from photographer Tim Hursley capture its bold, "weightless" presence against the flat landscape. 

Located in the city of Springdale, the new Performance Pavilion space designed for 10-acre Luther George Park is made from steel and doubles as a shade canopy when not in use as an events venue and gathering space for up to 3,000 people.

CIG Architecture, the Dutch manufacturer known for its work with Anish Kapoor, Olafur Eliasson, and others, worked closely with the firm to produce the steel shell that will patina over time so as to reveal the effects of the local climate on the architecture.

Uses vary from 50 to 100-person film screenings to other large-scale public meetings. The structure’s roof is designed to utilize a ruled surface that helps define each individual panel joint, while the underside of the shell is carefully erected in accord with acoustic considerations. 

Just two curving connections ground the pavilion, which spans 150 feet wide, to enhance the notion of weightlessness while clearing space for its internal use and framing views of the concrete stage.

Last month, we also featured Trahan Architects' slate of comprehensive upgrades to the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl LIX in February. The firm has previously debuted its design for the U.S. entry at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai earlier in the winter.

The state of Arkansas has been included in our news coverage this year with the announcement of key projects, such as the Crystal Bridges campus expansion from Safdie Architects and the selection of a contingent from the museum and Fay Jones School of Architecture to lead the official U.S. Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale of Architecture.