This 1932 nationally-registered historic structure is located in the nationally-registered Midtown Historic District. The adaptive reuse building now houses several tenants including the Eastern Missouri headquarters for Big Brothers, Big Sisters and a performing arts component for the Kranzberg Cultural Center, including a cabaret and a black box theater.
In the Big Brothers Big Sisters space, one challenge was designing a space which encourages creativity, energy and spirit through colorful finishes and whimsical plays, yet doesn’t come across as elementary or juvenile for the employees who work in the sapce. In the lobby, an overhead door was incorporated to allow an open flow between the private and the public lobbies. This creates a large open area to accommodate larger crowds during fundraising events. Through the use of vibrant colors, different textures and playful furniture the space not only attracts, inspires and retains the non-for-profit employees, but also gives the Little Brothers and Sisters a place to feel comfortable outside of their homes.
