Center of Creative Arts Renovation and Expansion
Reimagining a community anchor for the arts
- Client
- Center of Creative Arts (COCA)
- Location
- Missouri, United States
- Size
- 54,000 square feet
- Status
- Completed
A national leader in innovative arts education, Center of Creative Arts (COCA) serves more than 50,000 people annually through classes, professional development, exhibits and a variety of performances. As demand for COCA's programs has increased, their existing facility, an adaptive reuse of an iconic Erich Mendelsohn-designed synagogue, was no longer able to meet their needs.
Wanting to remain in their existing vibrant and eclectic neighborhood and retain a close connection to Washington University in St. Louis for their pre-professional programs, COCA knew an extensive renovation and expansion was required. CannonDesign and Axi:Ome collaborated on the multi-phase project that roughly doubled COCA's footprint through an expansion that honors the historic modernist building while enabling the growth of COCA's programs.
The project was guided by a clear goal: to create an addition that is respectful of the original architecture while clearly of its time. The new work remains contextually sensitive to Mendelsohn’s design vocabulary, maintaining the legibility of the original building while offering a contemporary interpretation that reflects COCA’s mission to enrich lives and build community through the arts.
Staying true to the neighborhood
Located at the edge of a commercial district and within a residential neighborhood, COCA placed a high priority on maintaining strong relationships with its neighbors throughout the project. The expansion — built on COCA’s former parking lot — presented tight site constraints that the team navigated in close partnership with COCA and construction manager S.M. Wilson. Through careful planning, extensive construction logistics coordination and a series of town halls and neighborhood outreach sessions, the team addressed concerns early and built trust. A phased implementation strategy allowed COCA to remain fully operational during construction while preserving goodwill within the surrounding community.
The expansion adds approximately 52,000 square feet to COCA’s facility, including more than 8,000 square feet of new studio space, additional community areas and a 450-seat theater. These improvements allow COCA to serve more students across the region and expand its programming, strengthening its impact on St. Louis’s cultural and civic communities.
A space that celebrates all the arts
A thoughtful renovation adapts the existing theatre (the building's original sanctuary) into an experimental performance studio and two large dance studios. Also included in the renovation are new dance studios, an art and design studio and a commercial kitchen that will be used for culinary classes and event hosting. The new expansion roughly doubles COCA's footprint, providing three new dance studios, a large commons area that connects the existing and new structures and a 450-seat proscenium theatre with extensive back-of house spaces. All studio and performance venues are professional quality and are shared with Washington University's Master of Fine Arts in Dance program.
In the expansion, movement and performance are celebrated through the design. Upper level dance studios are presented at the exterior, putting a key activity on display. Inside, these studios are ‘framed’ by white-maple portals that are shaped to invite the audience (parents many times) to engage with the performance space beyond. The new COCA campus is uniquely positioned to welcome diverse, multi-generational audiences for classes, camps, performances, exhibitions and community gatherings for years to come.
