When the Arts Council of Princeton outgrew its 1939 WPA-era facility, we crafted a renovation and expansion strategy that resolved handicap accessibility and climate control, improved connections with the community, and provided art and dance studios, a multi-use loft theater, public gallery, visiting artist’s suite and offices. Named for Paul Robeson, the great singer and actor who grew up in the adjoining neighborhood, the project signifies the importance of the arts in uniting a community and including people of all ages and walks of life.
While the site is an important intersection on axis with Princeton University’s main gates, the corner was a parking lot and the original building was elevated above the street, giving the impression of aloofness. By occupying the corner at grade, we resolved both physical and perceptual accessibility. The distinctive two-story entrance rotunda contains the Communiversity Room on the second floor, donated by the University and named for an annual spring arts festival co-sponsored by the Arts Council and University students.
Non-profits— especially arts organizations — have always occupied a prominent place within our clientele. While we are naturally sympathetic to the arts because they are so core to our discipline, we also recognize how important they are in building community. In designing the Paul Robeson Center, we helped research what facilities would best serve the community and what messages would resonate with potential donors. We became the Arts Council’s partner in helping actively to raise funds for the building and programs.
