The challenge of the Museum of Urban Art is to provide an accurate and beautiful description and display of the concept of urban art, while also providing a much needed community space to an area in need of revitalization.  The space will provide positive educational activities for the public, and particularly for youth.  It will provide a space to display the creation and experience of the many aspects of urban music, graphic art such as grafitti and street art, as well as urban entertainment.  The facility will also include restaurants and small shops, creating an opportunity for reinforcing ideas of urbanism in a way that enriches both the community and the museum as a whole.

The location of the facility is significant in both a public and a historic sense.  It is in close proximity to several other notable places in Birmingham,  such as Kelly Ingram Park, Linn Park, and the Civil Rights Institute.  The project’s location therefore will be crucial to the project being successfully integrated into the city’s public spaces.

This museum design was the end result of a brief yet intense charrette.  The goal of the charrette was to provide the client with an initial visual concept for the purpose of driving fundraising efforts and otherwise furthering the project’s development.

The facade design is derived from the concept of musical metamorphosis.  The building’s exterior creates an order of visual elements which progress dynamically around the building, educating the public as to the content of the exhibits within, as well as the concept of urban art in the broader sense.  As it progresses from left to right, the facade transitions from the traditional grand structure to a more whimsical and interpretive language, while still building upon its original structure and rhythm.