A rendering of the planned building at the Living Arts and Science Center.
Lexington, KY – The Living Arts and Science Center has broken ground on a $5 million renovation and expansion of its facility at Fourth and Martin Luther King. The project, which broke ground this morning, will more than double the existing space.
Over the past five years, the LASC has expanded its service reach from seven central Kentucky counties to serving schools and libraries in more than 30 counties each year, and the field trip programs that bring school groups to the LASC has doubled, reaching 7,500 students annually, necessitating the expansion.
“When we started the conversation about how to expand our services, we wanted to continue our commitment to the East End, the Center’s home for more than four decades,” said LASC Board President Hannah Huggins of the project designed by De Leon & Primmer Architecture Workshop and construction manager Burchfield and Thomas.
The project will include a complete renovation of the historic Kinkead House, which was built in 1847 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The Kinkead house was donated to the LASC by members of the Kinkead family. The renovated space will house a new Children’s Art Gallery and a retail gallery. The current art gallery, classrooms and office spaces will be renovated as well.
After completion, the LASC’s programming space will be more than 18,500 square feet. The new facility will include a planetarium, an expanded hands-on discovery exhibit, four new art and science classrooms, a digital art studio, additional art gallery space, a teaching kitchen, a clay studio, additional urban green space, rain and butterfly gardens, and a rooftop garden. The “Glo Gallery,” named in honor of long-time LASC supporter Gloria Singletary, will feature a 15-foot-by-28-foot glass wall for projections and digital art presentations.
“Inspiring design is critical to the success of a center dedicated to inspiring creativity and discovery,” said Executive Director Heather Lyons. “But our primary goal was to powerfully impact those who visit the Center every day.”