Architecture of Arkansas State Capitol to Be Discussed on April 10

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The Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock.

An iconic structure, the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock has no peer in the state or region. Except for those Arkansans who retain memories of a fifth-grade site visit, few know how or when it came to be or why it took the form it did. The imposing home of state government, impacted through the years by the elements, a changing tenancy and the demands of new technologies, is not the same building it was when conceived more than a century ago.

While its design is said to have been based on one proposed earlier by George Mann for Montana’s Capitol, Arkansas State Capitol historian David Ware says the building itself, whose construction got under way in 1899, combines the vision of two consummate professional architects: Missouri-based George Mann and Cass Gilbert, “New York-based, but with deep roots in the Midwest.” Built on the site of the state penitentiary, it was conceived as a “pay-as-you go” project and, for that reason, it took 16 years to complete.

The Architecture and Design Network has gathered a group of knowledgeable professionals who will share their perspectives on the Arkansas State Capitol. The discussion will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, in the Supreme Court Chamber, on the second floor of the Arkansas State Capitol. A reception will take place at 5:30 p.m.

David Ware, historian of the State Capitol, will talk about the Capitol’s genesis under Mann and its Gilbert-directed reboot. His recounting of its history will be interlaced with comments by three well qualified respondents, a trio of distinguished Arkansas architects who have gained considerable experience working on challenging Capitol restoration and remodeling projects.

Other program participants include Gary Clements, of Clements & Associates/Architecture, Inc., who graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arkansas; John Greer, Jr., vice-president of WER Architects; and Tommy Jameson, of Jameson Architects PA, who graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arkansas.

The program is part of this season’s Art of Architecture lecture series, sponsored by the Architecture and Design Network, with support from the Central Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Arkansas Arts Center and the Fay Jones School of Architecture.

This lecture is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact June Freeman at Projects4pi@mac.com.