Live Nation announced plans for a new 2,500-capacity music venue in the heart of downtown Bentonville, designed by BIG and Blueprint Studio, Live Nation’s in-house design and development group. In collaboration with the Momentary – the contemporary art space operated by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art – the Bentonville Ballroom will host national touring acts, community events, and local performances. While the exterior is defined by gabled, stepped, and staggered volumes clad in weathering steel and perforated metal mesh accents, natural materials and warm wood tones draw the Ozarks inside. The project is expected to generate approximately $4.9 million annually in state and local tax revenue. “Our design for the Bentonville Ballroom is rooted in the quotidian culture and character of Bentonville. The city has grown to play an outsized role in the cultural landscape of Northwest Arkansas; in fields such as biking, hiking, aviation, arts, and education, it’s a city that punches way above its weight. With the Bentonville Ballroom, we seek to create a natural new home for live music in the city. The design is like an architectural portrait of Bentonville – vernacular and evocative, traditional and expressive, with its feet solidly planted on the ground and its head in the skies.” – Bjarke Ingels, Founder & Creative Director, BIG
