Mathews Architecture

City of Asheville Arts & Cultural Center at 14 Riverside Drive

Mathews Architecture designed extensive renovations to this formerly bricked up historic building on a key corridor in Asheville’s River Arts District (RAD) transforming it into a multi-use space with a large community multi-purpose/meeting room that opens to a new outdoor deck facing the river. This facility also provides public restrooms and a place where people entering the area can find information about Asheville’s River Arts District.

Gifted to the City of Asheville by PSNC Energy, the building once served as the offices of a manufactured gas plant. Located across from Curve Studios, the building is a contributing historic structure in the Riverside Industrial Historic District that has been unused for over 50 years.

Money to help pay for the building remodel was granted by the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority and the City of Asheville through City Council appropriation.

Work included new metal roof and insulation, new historically appropriate steel windows, all systems, and metal decking and stairs.

This project was awarded a Griffin Award for Historic Preservation Excellence from the Preservation Society of Asheville-Buncombe County in May, 2018. 
After the renovation, showing the ADA access to the building
View along Riverside Drive, showing the electric meter placed above the flood level
Building before renovation
View of meeting space following renovation
view toward corten restroom core
Interior corridor at restrooms' entrance
Crowds gathered for the grand opening