The unprecedented floods of 2008 cut a swath of destruction through downtown Cedar Rapids. That disaster also created an opportunity to rebuild the downtown in a way it had not seen in more than 100 years. Numerous new buildings are going up and, when the dust settles, downtown Cedar Rapids will look completely different.
This exhibition celebrates some of the new architecture of Cedar Rapids through sketches, drawings, and models from the architectural firms themselves.

Focusing on eight civic projects from a variety of downtown locations and serving various functions, the exhibition will allow a snapshot into some of the exciting changes happening in the downtown area. The projects included: The U.S. Federal Courthouse, the Juvenile Justice Center, the Cedar Rapids Public Library, the Central Fire Station, the NewBo City Market, the Amphitheater, as well as the major renovations to the Jean Oxley Linn County Public Service Center and the Cedar Rapids Convention Complex. Each of these structures has a different story to tell—several stories actually—and some of those stories will be highlighted with each project.

Accompanying this exhibition will be a companion show of vintage post cards of Cedar Rapids from the early 20th century. Looking Back: Vintage Post Cards of Downtown Cedar Rapids was lent from a local private collection and will illuminate the Cedar Rapids that was, highlighting several historical buildings, some of which survive and others which have been torn down.

Both the Cedar Rapids of now and the Cedar Rapids of then can be experienced and seen in dialogue with each other.

http://www.crma.org/Exhibition/Detail/Current/Looking-Forward-New-Architecture-in-Downtown-Cedar-Rapids.aspx