Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts
Harrisburg, Penn.
Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates

A spirited epicenter breaths life into a science and arts venue

© Michael Moran

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above. To see the people and products behind this project click on 'people & products.'

The Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts is intended to be the focus for central Pennsylvania's cultural life. It is the first in the nation to combine science exhibitions and performing arts in a single facility. Housing a mix of scientific, artistic, cultural, and educational presentations, it is programmed to appeal to a broad cross-section of the local population.

The design signifies the varied nature of the center's programming and encourages community interaction. The building is faced with sandstone, using a sloping roofline, which both relates to the varied urban scales along the street and allows it to be perceived volumetrically rather than solely as two facades. The materials that mark the its main spaces on the exterior continue through the interior. The lobby is clad in multi-colored slate shingles. Inside, a three-story grand lobby is light-filled with a translucent metal dome that allows daylight to filter in from above. At night, it becomes a lantern that animates the street.

The 39,000-square-foot center consists of permanent and traveling exhibition space for interactive learning experiences, flexible classroom/demonstration areas, and a gift shop. A 200-seat IMAX theater, complete with a four-story screen, presents state-of-the-art, large-scale film presentations that support science and education. The 600-seat proscenium theater is accommodates a variety of performance types and groups from the community. Inside, a two-story public walkway arcs through the building, visually connecting its disparate architectural forms and three primary entrances.

See the May 2001 issue of Architectural Record and our lighting section for more coverage of this project.

Formal name of building:
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts

Location:
Harrisburg, Penn.

Gross square footage:
130,000 sq ft

Total construction cost:
$30 Million

Owner:
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts
301 Market Street
Kunkel Building, 7th Floor
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17101
717.221.8201/717.221.8208

Thomas R. Stone, PhD, President and CEO
Charles H. Armstrong, SVP for Administration

Architect's firm:
Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates
902 Broadway
New York, New York 10010
212.677.6030/212.939.0535