Project 01

Corita Kent Museum – A Viewfinder for Community and Creativity
Graduate Studio Project | ARCH 605

Through the lens of Corita Kent’s Viewfinder, this museum reimagines the act of seeing as a social and spiritual gesture. The architectural concept is rooted in a heart-shaped plan derived from Kent’s iconic graphic forms, serving as both a symbolic and functional driver for circulation and spatial hierarchy. This heart becomes the literal and conceptual core of the building—organizing flow, anchoring program, and framing experience.

Two distinct yet interrelated museum journeys unfold: the upper floor celebrates Kent’s biography and pedagogy, creating an open, light-filled environment for storytelling and reflection; while the lower level, embedded into the ground, houses her archival and historical works in a thermally regulated, light-protected space that evokes reverence and care.

More than a museum, the project functions as a community catalyst. Flexible ground-floor programming includes leasable, short-term spaces that act as an economic incubator for artists, small businesses, and educators. These multi-use rooms are designed for workshops, events, and cultural exchange—offering a sustainable model for nonprofit institutions to support both mission and community.

The building choreographs light, structure, and façade as active agents of perception—transforming everyday encounters into sacred moments. Inspired by Kent’s ethos of radical joy, inclusivity, and creativity, the architecture becomes a living framework for belief, making, and connection.