The Grand Center Art + Life complex is a residential building combined with a multi-use art gallery. Situated in an artistic, but developing area of St. Louis, it provides an anchor to the various art gallerys in the vicinity and a much-needed living space for the neighborhood.

The philosophy behind the design is that art should be available to everyone. To meet this, the program of the gallery space is transparent: patrons can visit artist's studios, view exhibits without walls, and experience a street-level sculpture garden. The gallery itself is transparent, allowing for soft light to permeate through to the garden below. The building design itself seeks to emulate a piece of art, as the sculptural revenue building pierces the gallery -becoming an object of architectural art - and the media facade projects artists works to attract visitors.

Submitted for the Steel Student Design Competition: boards

Professor: Eric Hoffman