Earlier this month, the National Park Service (NPS) formally listed the Arts United Center on the National Register of Historic Places with National Significance.

Designed for the city of Fort Wayne by renowned architect Louis Kahn and opened in 1973, the Arts United Center is a historic venue featuring a performing arts theatre that has served as the home stage of the Fort Wayne Ballet and Fort Wayne Civic Theatre and regularly hosted dance competitions, community and civic events and more. Designed by one of the most revered architects of the 20th century, Kahn’s Arts United Center is his only commission of any kind in the Midwest, as well as his only theater commission in the world. In approving the Arts United Center for listing on the National Register, the NPS specifically recognized its “embodiment of [Kahn’s] more mature design philosophy and ideas” and “its use as a dedicated performance space.”

Meredith Arms Bzdak, principal at Princeton, NJ-based Mills + Schnoering Architects, LLC, an architectural firm specializing in historic preservation, and President-Elect of the Docomomo US Board of Directors, prepared the nomination for the NPS. “We hope this recognition helps even more people understand just how special the Arts United Center is as a theater and as part of Kahn’s portfolio,” said Bzdak. “The building has a great story to tell and truly provides visitors with a magical experience. It’s an honor to be a part of the team working on this critical project."

Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne is in the midst of a comprehensive project to expand and modernize the venue. The project includes the revitalization and expansion of rehearsal studios, significant upgrades to technical and event production capabilities, and much-needed improvements in accessibility for people of all abilities – all while maintaining the venue’s historic value and original design.

“Thanks to Kahn’s distinct vision and design, the Arts United Center’s form has stood the test of time,” said Zach Benedict, President of Fort Wayne-based MKM Architecture + Design, the lead local architect on the Arts United Center modernization project. “It is certainly worthy of listing on the National Register – and certainly worthy of investment in its long-term viability as the heart and soul of northeast Indiana’s arts and culture community.”