Knight Ridder Commons
Designed by: StastnyBrun Architects, Inc. with Tad Savinar
The Commons provides a space for gathering, community meals, public engagement, and discourse. Equipped with a full kitchen, including an outdoor pizza oven, run by LAP’s chef, artists gather five times per week to share meals in Hackworth Hall and create community. Located within the Commons are the LAP’s administrative offices, a flexible space for meetings or research, and a full laundry.
Donald J. Stastny of StastnyBrun Architects, Portland, Oregon, was lead project architect, and advisor for the LAP Invitational Process that created the LAP facilities. Stastny collaborated with visual artist/playwright Tad Savinar on the design of the Commons. Blending old and new, and relaying a message of historic continuity and a contemporary community, the Commons acts as a transitional architectural statement, connecting the public spaces with the private side of the residency. Stastny’s projects range in scope from the design of museums and interpretive centers to creating and coordinating design competitions, including the American Embassy in Berlin and ARTSPark in Los Angeles. Savinar is the recipient of numerous individual awards and commissions. He created the public artwork for San Jose’s downtown fire station.