Vashon Center for the Arts

Location

Vashon Island, Washington

Owner

Vashon Allied Arts

Collaborators +

Project Size

23,474 square feet

Seating Capacity

300 auditorium

Project Status

Completed

Certifications

Certified LEED New Construction Silver

Services

Architecture, Interior Design

Vashon Center for the Arts is a multi-purpose performance space that establishes a vibrant, inviting civic presence as the center for arts events on Vashon Island. The new facility expands the arts campus of Vashon Allied Arts, headquartered at the historic Blue Heron Arts Center constructed in 1912, and progresses its mission to serve the multiple generations of visual and performing artists on the Island. As part of the expansion, two acres of adjacent wetlands are restored to serve as an interpretive center and sculpture garden, creating a five-acre campus encompassing both buildings.

The exterior character of the building draws on the unique community traditions of Vashon Island, emphasizing natural materials and Pacific Northwest craftsmanship blended with modern detailing appropriate to a destination regional arts center. A long-gabled roof — a familiar form on the island—shelters the majority of the structure, its open end infilled with large transparent windows defining the lobby pre-function spaces facing the street. Natural light floods these spaces by day, while at night the interior lighting glows as a community lantern.