Torpedo Factory Arts Center Re-envisioning Plan Wins National Design Award
from Society of American Registered Architects
On October 26, 2024 our concept for the Torpedo Factory Arts Center Re-envisioning Plan was awarded a Merit Award at the national awards ceremony of the Society of American Registered Architects. The awards ceremony gala was held at the iconic TWA Terminal Hotel at JFK Airport in New York City.
Today, more than 45 years after its completion, there is a unique opportunity to update the mission and programming of the TFAC with a broader and more inclusive vision that better aligns with the diversity and interests of the City. Embracing an expanded vision for the TFAC is critical to fulfilling its potential as the epicenter of the Alexandria waterfront in the decades to come.
The second floor consists exclusively of working artist and gallery spaces to reflect and showcase the visual arts that have been at the heart of the TFAC for the past 45 years. The presented plan calls for over 50 studios across the 2nd floor for this purpose. There are a variety of economic and programming models that can be embraced for this purpose.
The third floor is intended to cover the addition of 21st century arts, including a maker space for physical creations, a digital art and media lab for digital and social media creations, a center for entrepreneurship + incubator space for local business creation, and a rotating exhibition space to keep the TFAC fresh and continuously updated.
A key ingredient to transforming the potential of the TFAC is the development of a new top floor that embraces a new home for the Alexandria Archaeology Museum, a new event space for conferences and events, a new restaurant with stunning waterfront views, and a publicly available indoor/outdoor observation deck. Our vision includes two new high speed elevators to invite visitors to the top floor, where we propose includes the display of the historic ship hulls recently unearthed from the waterfront.
As part of our vision to increase the visibility of all artists we are also proposing to add other programs to increase the visitation of the Art Center. We are proposing that the culinary arts become a part of the TFAC, through a world class food hall on the ground floor that will showcase the culinary talents of a diverse set of proprietors. A well designed and curated food hall will create a dynamic and powerful year round draw for visitors to the TFAC.
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