Salt Lake Arts Center Relocation Masterplan
Salt Lake City, Utah

The Board of the Salt Lake Art Center now known as UMOCA looked for a relocation. The study included site selection and design for the new museum and studio classroom. A downtown location was identified in close proximity to hotels and other arts facilities as a means to reinforce the cultural district. Located across from Gallivan Plaza and adjacent to buildings that define the street edge, the site presented an opportunity to extend the public realm into the project. The design introduces an entry plaza that serves as a home for the museum’s sculpture collection while creating a seamless extension of Gallivan Plaza and strengthening the connection between the building, the street, and the surrounding urban fabric.

We proposed adding housing over the museum to provide a revenue stream and that which could be used for visiting artists. An entrance for the housing was located on the side street to provide privacy and its own identity.

The Center housed a main gallery and ancillary galleries for smaller shows. There is a gift shop, entry control point, café, studio class spaces, a small auditorium and administrative offices. The upper levels of the Center included balconies that overlook the Plaza.

Design Principals: Prescott Muir & Lisa Arnett
Project Architect: Lisa Arnett