Bemis InfoShop

A social condenser for creative dialog

  • Type Cultural
  • Location Omaha, Nebraska
  • Status Built
  • Date 2010
  • Project Partners

    Bemis Center for Contemporary Art:
    Mark Masuoka, Executive Director
    Hesse McGraw, Chief Curator
    Joel Damon
    Matt Lowe

    Cornhusker State Industries (NE Department of Corrections):
    Travis Atwood
    Jeremy Elder
    Kate Severin

FACT 07

The InfoShop is one of several FACT projects for Bemis Center, an artist-in-residence program and contemporary art exhibition space. More than a reception area and lobby, the InfoShop focuses attention on ideas and issues brought up by gallery programs, artists and patrons by providing a social platform for spontaneous meetings, dialog and debate. Designed for flexibility, the InfoShop is anchored by a 24′-long faceted reception desk that transforms into a bar for evening events. The walls are clad with custom, CNC-milled panels derived from a pinwheel aperiodic tiling pattern suggesting precision, complexity and playfulness. Working from Min | Day’s conceptual design, FACT students developed digital models, prototyped components, programmed fabrication code while working in partnership with inmates at a medium-security state prison. All installation and finishing by FACT.

The project was completed in three subsequent phases in quick succession, 1. design development, fabrication and installation of the patterned wall, and 2. fabrication and installation of the facetted desk, 3. design and fabrication of the Soft Stones seating system.

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The Info Shop during an art opening (photo by Bemis Center)

Forming a three-dimensional space from a two-dimensional tessellation

(photos by Mike Sinclair)

Wall pattern derived from a pinwheel aperiodic tiling (photo by Mike Sinclair)

Pattern optimization for the wall

The desk, a 3-dimensional extrusion of the pinwheel wall pattern (photos by Mike Sinclair, Larry Gawel)

Custom framing members unit precision-milled panels to a rough 19th-century structure

Making the InfoShop

Desk construction: welded steel frame, plywood sheathing, edge-laminated Masonite cladding

The Bemis Soft Stones prototype, see Actual Architecture Co.'s development of this into a product, also known as Soft Stones.

Recognition

Awards
2013 AIA San Francisco Honor Award
2013 AIA National Small Project Honor Award
2013 ACSA Design Build Award, (for FACT)
2010 AIA Nebraska Merit Award
2010 AIA Central States Region Honor Award

Project Team

students:
Brian Akert, Matt Armentrout, Justin Brouillette, Ashley Byars, Laura Brodersen, Bradley Brown, A.J. Campbell, Jared Carda, Andrea Hamilton, Krissy Harbert, Corey Hess, Jon Hoffman, Erik Leahy, Jon Martin, Karl Mielke, Casey Roberts, Jimmy Rohr, Darin Russell, Matthew Slattery, Andrew Sorensen, Sabrina Tockock, Juan Valdez, Jason Wheeler, Aaron Wong

interns:
Tara Meador, Nick Pajerski

collaborators:
Min | Day staff

Photography By Photography by FACT unless otherwise noted
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