Kansas City Spirit
Kansas City Spirit is a site-specific sculptural intervention for Barney Allis Plaza in the center of Kansas City, opening in 2027. The project was selected in 2025 through an international competition as part of the plaza’s redevelopment into a new public space. It is currently in production.
Kansas City is a city defined by resilience. The site was formerly occupied by Convention Hall. Built in 1899, the neo-classical building played a central role in the civic life of Kansas City. In 1900, only months before the Democratic National Convention, a fire destroyed the hall. Rather than accept defeat, the city mobilized with remarkable determination and rebuilt the structure within 90 days. This event became a pivotal moment in the city’s history and a lasting emblem of resilience, civic pride, and collective action—often referred to as the Kansas City Spirit.
This historical narrative forms the conceptual foundation of the artwork. The project reinterprets the ruins of Convention Hall’s iconic façade as a spatial drawing. Rather than reconstructing the building, the artwork evokes its silhouette and architectural rhythm, allowing recognizability to coexist with openness and lightness. The structure functions as an interpretation of memory—both enduring and fragmentary—adapted to the present condition of the site.
The installation consists of four monumental fragments positioned at the corners of Barney Allis Plaza. Together, they delineate the perimeter of the site and frame the public space without enclosing it. Acting as gateways, the fragments mark the entrances to the plaza while maintaining visual and physical permeability. Seen from the surrounding streets, the structure operates as a landmark that announces the presence of the plaza. At ground level, the arches guide movement and invite passage. Through its restrained formal language and precise material articulation, Kansas City Spirit contributes to the spatial identity of Barney Allis Plaza and reflects on the role of collective memory within a contemporary civic space.
Commissioned by
Kansas City, Missouri
Curator
Petrichor Projects
Realisation date
2027
Location
Barney Allis Plaza, Kansas City, Missouri, USA