THE HANGOUT AT SCOTT FAMILY AMAZEUM

As part of the Amazeum’s Expanding Futures Campaign, the Scott Family is building a new expansion called The Hangout, designed by modus studio, and the Hangout Plaza, designed by Studio Bryan Hanes. The Hangout Plaza creates a sequenced transitionary experience as visitors travel from one venue to another. The North Western entry node is the primary drop-off point for families and school busses visiting the Amazeum and The Backyard, as well as a gathering space for the occasional food truck event. Canopy trees and dense shrub planting act as a threshold between the backyard and the parking lot the closer the visitor gets to the entry gate.

The entry sequence for the Hangout is choreographed to a greater extent. The visitor is intended to wander into the Stone Valley and feel separated from the greater context by the scale of the vertical and angled stone slabs. The 11 vertical stone slabs are symbolic of the 11 members of the Scott Family who funded the project. The Stone Valley draws inspiration from the geological formations of the Ozark Mountains with stone seating and boulders; it is meant to be a place where visitors gather, rest, and explore while admiring the various stone textures. The presence of the Hangout building in the background is akin to the feeling of the mountains looming in the background as one hikes through a mountain range. The “Porch” acts as a welcoming exhale point in that journey, where it is the entry/exit point of the Hangout Building and the area to purchase tickets.

Location: Bentonville, AR