Southern Comfort: 8 Great Examples of Architecture in Arkansas

When we think of the major design centers and global capitals of architecture, Arkansas is usually not the first place that comes to mind. However, more and more great architecture is beginning to emerge from the so-called Natural State — which celebrated its 179th birthday over the weekend, on June 13 — with modern projects showcasing intelligent and thoughtful design solutions. Whether they carefully respond to natural site conditions or older building fabric, these contemporary buildings boldly speak an architectural language that is intimately linked to ideas of place, history, and optimism. They are projects from a variety of different architects across different scales, formal typologies, and programs.

Beyond their locale, all of the following projects are explorations in a modern architectural vocabulary, building upon historic methods and organizations while reinterpreting them. Each project is a critical investigation into the relationships between tectonics, space, and context; collectively, they represent a primer on an emerging design culture that is exciting and dynamic in Arkansas.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art by Safdie Architects, Bentonville, Ark. Photos by Timothy Hursley.

Crystal Bridges is a museum that was designed so that individuals experience art and nature simultaneously and harmoniously. Visitors move between trees, ponds, and pavilions as they experience art and the flow of water. There is a constant interchange between inwardly focused viewing of the art, outward views toward the surrounding landscape, and openings to the exterior.

Vol Walker Hall and the Steven L. Anderson Design Center by Marlon Blackwell Architect, Fayetteville, Ark. Photos by Timothy Hursley.

Removing 13,000 square feet of library space in Vol Walker Hall, the new addition of the Steven L. Anderson Design Center features studio and critique spaces as well as an auditorium and roof terrace. Careful material detailing honors the building’s historic counterpart while establishing a powerful language of its own. A large fritted-glass brise-soleil was used to screen western sunlight and illustrate construction methods.

Garland Center by Knowles Blunck Architecture in Fayetteville, Ark. Photos by Timothy Hursley.

A large mixed-use project, the Garland Center includes a car park, retail, and the University of Arkansas Bookstore. The design carefully considers its “edge site” conditions and the pedestrian circulation along and through the project. It also makes use of recycled-fiber cement-board rain-screen along the façade.

The William J. Clinton Presidential Center by Ennead Architects, Little Rock, Ark. Photos by Timothy Hursley.

Envisioned as a bridge to the future, the William J. Clinton Presidential Center houses a library, warehousing, and storage. A destination in the landscape, the center softly glows at night. A large structural system allows the building to cantilever out toward the Arkansas River.

The Cardinal by Modus Studio, Fayetteville, Ark. Photos by Timothy Hursley.

A collegiate multifamily project adjacent to the University of Arkansas, the Cardinal was designed as a catalyst for growth within the city’s urban core. The formal design is layered and a simple material palette is applied. Accessibility to natural light, high density, and distinctively clean lines make up this design for a lively and engaging development.

Thorncrown Chapel by Fay Jones, Eureka Springs, Ark. Photos by Timothy Hursley.

Constructed of wood and indigenous materials from northwestern Arkansas, Thorncrown Chapel was designed by Fay Jones as a chapel in the woods. It is an exquisite example of organic architecture influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School designs. The building includes a simple wedding chapel space with seemingly vanishing walls and delicate construction details.

Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library and Learning Center by Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects, Little Rock, Ark. Photos by Timothy Hursley.

Designed as a “community-embedded, supportive learning center,” the project combines a library, performance space, a teaching kitchen, a greenhouse and vegetable garden, and an arboretum. The design situates itself within a site where children can learn hand on gardening and food preparation. It also embodies the childhood memories of many Arkansans, who often grow up exploring the state’s many creeks, fields, and utilitarian structures, such as sheds and barns.

Heifer International Headquarters by Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects, Little Rock, Ark. Photos by Timothy Hursley.

Designed to exemplify Heifer International’s mission, the headquarters was created as a “gentle curve emanating from the overall multiphase master plan, conceived as a series of concentric rings expanding outward from a central commons that represents the ‘impact point’ of a gift.” The headquarters is situated on one of the largest brownfield recoveries in Arkansas, where railroad tracks used to intersect. Almost all of the materials were recycled, and the design also includes an industrial wetland.

More of Timothy Hursley’s architectural photography can be seen on his website, here.