Case Study: Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts creates a new landmark in Little Rock with Thornton Tomasetti

Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts spans 400 feet with Thornton Tomasetti’s 3D-modeled folded roof

The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (AMFA) in Little Rock required a major architectural update to unify its sprawling, seven-building campus and establish a new identity. The challenge involved adaptive reuse, selective demolition, and the creation of a new, organically shaped roof structure. Thornton Tomasetti was engaged to provide structural design and façade engineering services to bring this complex vision to life.

Thornton Tomasetti developed a folded plate concrete roof system, known as the "Blossom," which linked the entire site. Through extensive 3D modeling, they optimized the design and collaborated with the contractor to streamline construction. The result is a new landmark that provides a cohesive visitor experience and anchors MacArthur Park, opening to the public in Spring 2023.

Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts