Ennead Architcts has completed the Tenaska Center for Arts Engagement in Omaha, Nebraska. The Tenaska Center is the third and final building the firm designed for the Omaha Performing Arts campus. Holland Basham, a local practice, served as the architect of record.
The Dick & Mary Holland Campus masterplan was by Ennead. The first building that was completed as part of the masterplan was the Holland Performing Arts Center in 1995. The second was a live music venue, Steelhouse Omaha, in 2023, as part of a masterplan Ennead designed in the heart of Omaha’s downtown.
Stephen Chu, Ennead Architects design partner, said in describing the campus that each “building in the campus has its own purpose and identity, but together they create a sacred space where creativity is open to all.” Ennead Architects was recently acquired by CannonDesign.
The Tenaska Center measures 92,200 square feet and hosts the institution’s education and community engagement programming. Rehearsal spaces inside the venue can accommodate a range of dance classes as well as vocal ensembles. It connects Omaha’s historic and Capitol District in the heart of downtown.
The center is faced in mostly glass to convey senses of openness and discovery, and broadcast the interior activity at the most public-facing section of the campus.
Vertical fins lacquered in Chameleon paint change color depending on solar orientation. The building is positioned alongside the Holland Performing Arts Center, its boxy and rectilinear massing mimics that of its predecessor.
Fins on the facade of the Tenaska Center are both aesthetic and functional; they minimize heat gain and give the building “a kinetic presence” Ennead shared in a statement. At night the envelope is illuminated from within.
Visitors encounter a large communal space called the Joan Squires Atrium lined in blue-gold colors. The atrium takes its name from the sitting president of the Omaha Performing Arts, Joan Squires.
A site-specific art installation by Eva LeWitt anchors the atrium. The art piece hangs down from the ceiling like a chromatic chandelier. A sculptural stair connects visitors upstairs where the rehearsal halls, workshops, and classrooms are located.
Administration offices for the Omaha Performing Arts campus staff are also located in the Tenaska Center. Savvy acoustic design cancels out sound between the spaces. Squires said the new building is thoughtful and “human-centered” and will help the institution “inspire, educate, and connect our community through the performing arts.”
“This space is specifically designed to broaden opportunities for students and the entire community to participate in classes, workshops and interactions with the very best touring artists, along with local organizations,” Squires said.