Here at WaterFire Providence, we believe that representation and diversity are two of the pillars that bind a community together and through each WaterFire lighting we celebrate the renewal of those bonds. Today is International Woman’s day so we wanted to take a moment to recognize a few of the many… Read More »Celebrating the Women Who Ignite Providence
There are many historical features that make the WaterFire Arts Center unique. When the building was owned by the US Rubber company it had different needs than it does today. Those needs demanded solutions that we no longer commonly see today. But those original provisions make the WFAC unique.
The WFAC has a great number of large windows. This allowed the maximum amount of natural sunlight to enter the building, and minimize the amount of electrical light needed to function in a time when electricity and electric lighting were much more expensive than today.
The large scrolling doors were tall enough to allow full-size locomotives to enter the space and unload cargoes of rubber, and deliver finished product out.
Read More »Building for the Future | Episode 27 Historic Architectural Elements
Well, happy people really! Check out this time lapse in which the WaterFire Arts Center gets its new carpets installed on its office floor. Designed to align with the event day dress code that we and our volunteers adhere to at WaterFire, the new carpets are done in black and… Read More »New Carpets, Happy Feet!
Today the cement for the main hall of the WaterFire Arts Center was poured! It took all day and dozens of laborers, but the floor is complete! Truck, after truck, after truck, brought loads of cement into the arts center parking lot, where it was pumped through the emergency doors… Read More »Floored by the Cement Pour!
Electrical Systems Make Us Glow! Nothing can compare to our bonfires on the rivers of Providence. But our electrical systems make the WaterFire Arts Center a stunning place to be! Supplementing our natural light, mandatory during the night, our lighting fixtures were chosen to be appropriate to the age and industrial history of our… Read More »Building for the Future Episode 26 | Electrical
It is amazing how much has changed in the months spanning from September to February! When volunteer photographer Elaine Fredrick made the first images in this collection, the windows were not fully installed! A lot has happened since then. Sheetrock has covered the steel studs. Everything is beginning to look like… Read More »Before and After, September to February
Interior Design Goals The interior of the WaterFire Arts Center is striking and bold! The colors and designs are chosen to align with the famous artist Piet Mondrian’s landmark quadrilateral paintings. The inspiration of his palette is carried throughout the buildings spaces and furnishings. Our building’s historic surfaces are unrestored but… Read More »Building for the Future Episode 23 | Interior Design and Color Design
A pallet of Big Ass Fans for the ceiling arrived today! No, really, that is the brand name! Big Ass Fans have made a name for themselves as designers and suppliers of giant industrial ceiling fans, and of contemporary-looking fine home fans. Our fans fall somewhere in between. They have an industrial… Read More »Big Ass Fans! (And kitchen cabinets too!)
Exciting News! The WaterFire Arts Center receives its first furnishings! The first floor is still in mid phases of construction but the second floor is ready to receive its desks! Here, video intern Madeline Cirullo Vanna Whites our latest counter space.
Providence local DBVW Architects used three-dimensional computer models to help them design the WaterFire Arts Center. By relying on laser scans of the preexisting building to generate a super accurate and detailed model, interventions and modifications were laid out in an explorable, modifiable environment that eased coordination between ourselves, DBVW,… Read More »Building for the Future Episode 22 | Three Dimensional Modeling
