The main civic plaza at the Shaw Center for the Arts establishes a green heart in the fabric of the historic quarter of downtown Baton Rouge. Located across from the Old State Capitol, the site affords panoramic views across the Mississippi River and marks the block as a special place within downtown. The plaza overtakes an adjacent street to connect to an existing park with heritage Live Oaks and to mitigate the impact of the street, making it feel more pedestrian that vehicular in character.  The plaza includes a pair of interactive fountains and a unique paving pattern that recalls the flow and rippling of the nearby Mississippi. A major component of the urban revitalization, the Shaw Center is the home for the LSU Museum of Art, a community theatre complex, including art incubator space for Louisiana State University’s Department of Art designed by Schwartz/Silver Architects, and Eskew+Dumez+Ripple.