THE MOMENTARY, BENTONVILLE, ARK.
RETROFIT TEAM
ARCHITECT: Wheeler Kearns Architects
- Calli Verkamp, AIA, LEED AP, lead project architect
- Brandon Hall, AIA, project architect
- Larry Kearns, FAIA, LEED AP, project principal
- Thomas Boyster, AIA, architect
- Daniel Wicke, AIA, architect
INTERIOR DESIGNER: FODA Design
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Thornton Tomasetti
MEP/FP AND IT ENGINEER: McGuire Engineers
LIGHTING CONSULTANT: Lux Populi
THEATER DESIGNER: Schuler Shook
ACOUSTIC AND AV DESIGN: Threshold Acoustics LLC
GENERAL CONTRACTOR AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGER: Flintco
MATERIALS
The following is a sampling of materials used in the project:
METAL PANELS: Kingspan
METAL/GLASS CURTAINWALL: YKK AP
GLASS RAINSCREEN: Bendheim
ROOFING: Carlisle Syntec Systems
GLASS ENTRY: engineered by Linel, glass by Tristar Glass Inc., custom frit pattern designed by Addie Roanhorse and printed by Alice Direct-to-glass Printing by GGI
LOADING DOCK ADDITIONAL: YKK AP, glass by Viracon, custom frit pattern by Addie Roanhorse
GLASS SCRIM: Bendheim and custom frit pattern by Addie Roanhorse
TOWER BAR: YKK AP and glass by Viracon
SKYLIGHT OVER TOWER BAR: Wasco
ACOUSTICAL CEILINGS: MARS/MARS High-NRC Logix Acoustical Panels from USG
SUSPENSION GRID: Fineline DXF from USG
SOLID SURFACE: Corian
COUNTERTOP AT TOWER BAR: Neolith
HIGH-PERFORMANCE COATINGS: Tnemec
FLUID-APPLIED FLOORING: Desco Systems
EXTERIOR LIGHT POLES: ANP Lighting and KIM Lighting
EXTERIOR AMBIENT LIGHTING: acdc and Vista Professional Outdoor Lighting
SCRIM BACKLIGHTING: ColorKinetics
THE RETROFIT
The Momentary, which opened in February 2020, is a contemporary art space satellite to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. This adaptive-reuse project within a 63,000-square-foot decommissioned cheese factory is unlike a traditional museum. The focus was on designing a cultural hub with engaging indoor and outdoor areas that would expand experiences in Bentonville and bring artists from around the world to the region.
When approaching the transformation of this building for a new purpose, Wheeler Kearns Architects aimed to keep as much of the existing structure as possible. The team deliberately differentiated the building additions by using contemporary materials, like steel and glass, an open and visible intervention that brings the old and new together in a diverse, but holistic, program.
A few highlights of the program include:
- The Galleries are located in the oldest part of the original building, which spans more than 24,000 square feet.
- At 70-feet tall, The Tower is the largest space in the program allowing for vertical circulation up through multiple pre-existing intermediate mezzanines, which will be used for visual arts, performance and social events. The exterior of the new addition features glass panels.
- The RØDE House is a multidisciplinary performance space in the old Milk Intake Room, which seats upwards of 350 people. The space can be closed or partially open-air and features an adjustable floor system that allows the room to be reconfigured.
- Once the enclosure for the plant’s massive tank, the Fermentation Hall is a black-box theater. Taking advantage of the natural acoustic isolation with the precast concrete of the existing space, it features high ceilings and a variable acoustic system. It seats more than 100 people in a retractable seating bank.
- Culinary and beverage offerings include The Breakroom, a social space off the galleries in the former employee lunchroom, and at the top of The Tower is the Tower Bar, which offers panoramic views of Bentonville, as well as a floor skylight looking down into the museum below.
PHOTO: TOM HARRIS ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY