Riverside, California, USA
Chicano art and culture center Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture, designed by John D. Lesak and Kulapat Yantrasast of Page & Turnbull and WHY Architecture Workshop, is housed in a historic former library at the center of Riverside, The Cheech is the first public space in the United States dedicated to celebrating Chicano art.
The architects’ design for the structure is inspired by extensive engagement with artists, activists, and local residents.
It was clear from the start that The Cheech would offer something very different from a typical “white box” gallery.
Instead, this is “a space infused with sabor – flavor, vitality, and radical hospitality.””
The old library building is transformed to showcase the collection of the comedian Cheech Marin, comprising over 700 paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures by artists including Patssi Valdez, Sandy Rodriguez, Carlos Almaraz, Frank Romero, and Gilbert “Magú” Luján.
The site in its entirety conveys the spirit of The Cheech, with outdoor spaces encouraging art programming, impromptu performances, and experiences of all types – from lowrider shows, to quinceañeras, to outdoor sculpture.
The project retains the civic history of the former library as a vital site of gathering for the community, making space for multiple intersecting cultural narratives.
Rather than applying a dramatic, top-down approach to transforming the building , WHY worked closely with Page & Turnbull’s historic preservation team to identify a series of carefully localized interventions, addressing each point sequentially to reinvigorate the structure while preserving its historic character.
This approach acts to defragment the spaces and improve circulation, bringing a new openness and flow to the spaces.
Project: Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture
Architects: Page & Turnbull
Lead Architect: John D. Lesak and Kulapat Yantrasast
Associate Architects: WHY Architecture Workshop Inc.
General Contractor: Hamel Contracting Inc.
Client: Riverside Art Museum
Photographers: Eric Staudenmaier
