The Kimball Art Center will present the five architectural designs for its renovation and expansion project, leading up to the selection of the winning design in February 2012. The project comprises an interior renovation of the existing Kimball Art Center located on the corner of Park Avenue and Main Street in Park City, Utah, and the construction of a modern new building directly adjacent to the original. This phased project is expected to begin in mid-2013, and be completed in mid-2015.

Photographic light-box displays of the designs and videos of the models using augmented reality technology will be displayed during the Sundance Film Festival, January 19-29, when the Kimball Art Center becomes Sundance House Presented by HP.

Robin Marrouche, executive director, Kimball Art Center, explains, “All of the proposals in the competition are beautifully presented and wonderfully creative, and choosing just one will be a challenging task for the jury. That’s one reason why we want to create a public dialogue around the competition.”

“We want visitors to see Park City as an important emerging arts destination, and a new building of architectural importance, with an enhanced facility for the presentation of art, will do just that,” Marrouche adds. “In addition to the positive economic effects the project could have on the region in the long term, we want to further enrich our community, allowing us to expand our exhibition and educational offerings and provide a much needed public gathering space in Old Town.”

Five Final Firms and Their Designs:

BIG/Bjarke Ingels Group – New York and Copenhagen, Denmark;

Brooks + Scarpa Architects – Los Angeles

Sparano + Mooney Architecture – Salt Lake City

Will Bruder + Partners Ltd. – Phoenix

Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects – New York