Merit Award
Holland Performing Arts Center
Omaha, Nebraska
Poulin + Morris Inc.
L. Richard Poulin (Principals in Charge), Brian Brindisi
Design Communications Ltd.
Polshek Partnership Architects
Polshek Partnership Architects, HDR Architecture, Inc.
Brian Brindisi
The Holland Performing Arts Center, designed by Polshek Partnership Architects in association with HDR Architecture, is the physical embodiment of Omaha's commitment of and passion for musical arts, attracting audiences from the immediate community and the region. Its architecture reinforces civic pride, enhances the downtown area, and further distinguishes Omaha's rich architectural culture.
Performance spaces include a concert hall, a flexible chamber music hall, and a semi-enclosed outdoor performance and event garden. The multi-level lobby accommodates a variety of uses including exhibitions, retail shop, café, and access to donor lounges and green rooms. The main body of the building is sheathed in zinc. The solid body of the building is clad in stone and caped by an illuminated glass lantern, which fills the hall with natural light during the day. The void also creates a terraced courtyard.
Poulin + Morris was responsible for the programming, design, documentation, and implementation supervision of a comprehensive environmental graphics, donor recognition, and wayfinding sign program, as well as a new graphic identity. The program includes identification, directional, informational, and regulatory signs relating to building, health, accessibility, fire, and ADA codes. To fully realize a functional and accessible program, a row, box, and seat alphanumeric numbering system was introduced as a primary wayfinding device, as well as design criteria and standards for all donor recognition requirements.
"Simple, elegant, and suitably monumental, this donor wall stands out. It is an understated, refined solution, with a lyrical type arrangement weaving three donor levels together in melodious harmony. The gleaming stainless steel donor names inlaid into the grid of square verdigris wall panels provide textural and finish contrast, creating a fitting tribute to financial benefactors and a rich backdrop for pre-event functions."