A warehouse repurposed to house and support the local arts community
Center in the Square repurposed a 1914 warehouse in Roanoke, Virginia’s historic farmers market to house and support the local arts community. The restored warehouse is home to the West Virginia Foundation for the Arts and Sciences and houses the Arts Museum of Western Virginia, the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge, Mill Mountain Theatre, Roanoke Valley History Museum, and the Science Museum of Western Virginia. By bringing together these cultural entities in a rent-free space and encouraging community input, Center in the Square has created a new cultural and educational destination in Roanoke and spurred revitalization downtown.
Center in the Square employs the location and synergy of five cultural and arts organizations to draw people to downtown, transforming a decaying market area into an intensely used attraction.
1997 Selection Committee
A patron of the arts, Center in the Square provides housing for arts and science organizations free of charge and offers marketing and other support services to tenants. By centralizing arts and science programs, the project gives residents, tourists, and surrounding schools easy access to invaluable cultural and educational resources.