Brooks + Scarpa is not just a talented architecture firm - it seems they're also magicians capable of procuring clouds out of thin air, as they've shown in their plans to renovate the Kimball Art Center in Park City, UT. Encased in translucent honeycomb paneling, the Kimball Cloud is a light and bright space that makes use of solar passive design, heat exchange, and natural ventilation to provide energy-efficient climate control. The renovation of the arts and culture center is an opportunity for Park City to make a name for itself in the international art world, and Brooks + Scarpa's proposal could easily catapult it into the stratosphere.

Yesterday we explored BIG’s twisting timber tower for Park City’s Kimball Art Center, and today we’ll check out what Brooks + Scarpa has up its sleeve. The inspiration for the Kimball Cloud came directly from the many “blue bird” days of clear blue skies that Park City experiences. Brooks + Scarpa decided to remind us of our often sunny skies by introducing a new cloud into the urban landscape. The bright tower set beside the existing historic structure of the arts center is a beacon that can been seen and experienced from almost every vantage point in town. Daylight here is one of the driving strategies and the translucent panels of the cloud tower filter light into the space and down through each level to create an open and inviting space.

Existing facilities of the Kimball will be renovated and upgraded in accordance with the programmatic plan adding necessary office, storage and classroom space. The historic building’s roof will be turned into a large outdoor venue and seating and the side of the cloud becomes a movie screen to project the latest films from Sundance or other feature presentations. The cloud then will house new gallery and exhibition spaces, a kitchen and restaurant and will be topped off with an outdoor terrace and garden.