Story at a glance:
- Gensler designed the Pillsbury Creative Commons, a new two-story building on the campus of Pillsbury House + Theatre, to reach more people in the community.
- Sustainable strategies and design for well-being are at every turn inside and out of the new PCC building.
Creativity, color, community—the new Pillsbury Creative Commons (PCC) burst to life near the corner of Chicago Avenue and 36th Street in South Minneapolis in July 2025. The two-story building is the newly expanded campus of Pillsbury House + Theatre, continuing more than 30 years of community-based arts and economic development in the area. It’s home to KRSM 98.9 FM’s radio studios and is also a place for technical training, after-school programs, community events, and more.
“A lot of the materials were inspired by the radio industry and the music industry—the repeated lines you see on old vinyl records or the graphics of how radio waves move through the air,” says Jessie Bauldry, design director at Gensler in Minneapolis, who worked on the project. Fiber cement board provides texture and a linear quality on the facade, while colors pulled from the KRSM brand reflect the often colorful labels on black vinyl.
“The moments of color really are meant to be vibrant and eye-catching. There are also warm tones, which is a nice contrast to the more natural tones outside from the trees and the sky. This community is such a wonderful, creative group of people, and the color embodies the energy the community brings to the project,” Bauldry says.
The Mission
A green roof above the studios will reduce stormwater runoff and enhance acoustic properties. Designed for wellness, the building also emphasizes natural light and creates a welcoming environment for learning, collaboration, and respite. Photo by Jasper Lazor, courtesy of Gensler
Creating an accessible, inviting environment that is for everyone was a priority from the beginning. The project also aims to be a training ground to help people get into more technical fields, from broadcasting to set design.
Gensler is now working on phase two of the project—renovating the neighboring garage into a “Scene Shop” for more elaborate set design, including for other theaters. Construction could start as early as fall 2025, according to Gensler.
“The primary mission is to really bring these things to South Minneapolis and provide career paths that are in the creative arts for people who live in the neighborhood,” Bauldry says. “This site is a block north of George Floyd Square. It’s a really diverse and eclectic neighborhood. I think Pillsbury saw there was a lack of people in these more technical training types of jobs, and so they wanted to focus on the BIPOC and LGBTQ community, making sure they had the same opportunities to get into these types of work as everybody else. That’s been really inspiring.”
Local radio station KRSM was essentially living in a community center in Powderhorn Park prior to the move, Bauldry says, noting that the space was not ideal. “Providing a new space and providing a connection to the community was really important for this project.” She says while the Pillsbury House and Theatre has been in this location for a long time, they have so much more in mind for what PCC can do.
Sustainable Details
Three studios for KRSM 98.9 FM, a hyper-local radio station in Minneapolis, were designed to deliver top-tier technical and acoustic performance while maintaining strong visual and physical connections to the street and surrounding community at Pillsbury Creative Commons. Photo by Jasper Lazor, courtesy of Gensler
Sustainability and well-being are intertwined, according to Bauldry. The PCC design is filled with details meant to improve occupant wellness, from comfortable spaces to plentiful daylight and outdoor access.
The tight urban site was a challenge when it came to things like the stormwater management and the green roof but ultimately led to clever design. An extensive, continuously planted green roof system also has acoustic benefits, given its location above the recording studio. “When you have a metal roof deck and you have a roof above, sometimes you can hear the rain coming down and things like that. The green roof really helps to minimize those types of noises within the studio,” Bauldry says.
An upper-level deck offers a peaceful retreat adjacent to the green roof, and large plants will be visible even from street level. In general, access to daylight is a big win for the building. “The project was really designed so you can be standing on the first floor in the middle of the building and still feel super connected to the community and to outside,” Bauldry says. Windows on two primary corners of the building connect people to Chicago Avenue or back to campus. “Always having that connection to the exterior is one of the coolest things about the building. There’s not really a spot in there where you can’t see outside.”
While radio hosts will come and go at all hours, a large community room in the building will also host various events. On the second floor, two live-work units will host multidisciplinary artists-in-residence. LED lighting can be found throughout the project, and the building itself exceeds energy code in terms of efficiency.
While the exterior materials—stucco and fiber cement board—are common, they’re also long-lasting, adding to the project’s sustainability story with a long life cycle. “Those materials will be there for a long time, and they’re made out of good, natural elements,” Bauldry says.
Interior material choices are warm and welcoming, with resilient, rubber flooring adding to the project’s durability. “We picked materials that are both good for the environment and good for users, like low-VOC paints and things like that.”
Bauldry is excited to see how the community space is used, especially as the previous, existing theater building was more inward-looking. “This space is going to give them an opportunity to really be visible to the community,” she says. KRSM, too, will be more visible to the neighborhood.
PCC is just one of many exciting projects happening in Minneapolis that showcases a commitment to sustainability and community. “What’s cool about Minneapolis is, if you look around, there are a lot of these little projects that add up to having a really big impact on a city,” Bauldry says. “And especially given the location of this project, it is a bright spot in a neighborhood that really deserves it. I think it says a lot about our city when projects like this get built. They’re super important to our communities and our neighborhoods.”
Designed for wellness, the building emphasizes natural light and creates a welcoming environment for learning, collaboration, and respite. Photo by Jasper Lazor, courtesy of Gensler
