{Submitted by Kirk R. Brown for J.B. approval.  Kansas City, Missouri.  Kauffman Center http://www.kauffmancenter.org/}

The green roof on the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

John, on the way back home, I had to stop at this new center for the arts in the heart of downtown Kansas City.  It was an amazing end to the journey to OZ and back.  There is a roof on the end of the building that is covered with trees and ornamental grass.  Just look at it!  Amazing technology.  Sustainable and beautiful all at the same time!  And GREEN.

The double shells of the exterior mask the opposing rings of the interior spaces.

The roof had several levels visible from the interior spaces.

Multi-level green roof.

At the core of this building are two fabulous performance spaces that allow artists their full range of musical and dramatic expression.  The close end houses the orchestral space.  The magnificent organ and unique pipe installation has yet to be voiced and played.

The Symphony side of the Arts Center is a flexible concert space.

The interior space is wood clad an offers perfect acoustics.  Beautiful organic surfaces.  Pins would drop noisily.

These arcs of wood oppose the exterior shells of the building.

The upper shell is home to the Kansas City Opera Company and all of the touring shows requiring a fully functional theatrical road house.

The fire curtain was down on the tour.

The interior grand tier is designed to give the audience an impression of being inside a chandelier.  The walls are back-lit crystal panels.  The halls a painted in large fields of color.

The Circle combines private boxes with grand tier seating.

It was a private tour on a very quick stop.  But I wanted to share with you the amazing sites that are changing the face of the way we look at and treat our landscapes.  This view of nature was supremely artistic.

The lobby expands out into the space between the performance venues.

And then on my way to the car in the parking garage, I heard strange music coming from a group of pipes glowing with the changing melodic patterns.  Wow.  This was a grand way to finish up an amazing experience.

The music and tonal coloration joined the spheres of art and performance.

The trip ended at the drive up from the garage.

The end of the Kansas City experience on the way to the airport.