A major renovation and expansion project at the Society of the Four Arts is now underway. The work means changes for some Four Arts programs — and a shift for the town’s popular Lake Trail where it runs through the property.
Construction began this week on the $250 million project to upgrade the Esther B. O’Keeffe and John E. Rovensky buildings on the organization’s 10-acre campus in Midtown Palm Beach near the Royal Park Bridge.
The goal is to “enhance the visitor experience, provide vital updates to artistic and administrative spaces, and create a unified cultural campus for the institution’s world-class programming,” Four Arts officials said in a news release.
The portion of the Lake Trail that runs through the Four Arts campus is closed, a step the town approved to divert pedestrians away from the construction area and out of danger, the organization said. People using the Lake Trail from the south should walk or bike to Cocoanut Row and go north before heading west on Seaview Avenue.
The north sidewalk along Royal Palm Way, along the south side of the construction area, is closed and will remain so throughout construction.
Activity on the campus this week includes the beginning of demolition work on the west side of the O’Keeffe building, along with the erection of construction fencing along Royal Palm Way and Four Arts Plaza.
A protective structure has been placed over the Four Arts’ iconic lakefront sculpture, the pyramid-shaped “Intetra” by late artist Isamu Noguchi.
“The renovation project honors the historic character of the Addison Mizner-designed O’Keeffe and Rovensky buildings while maximizing programmatic space and making thoughtful updates to enhance the experience of patrons, as well as the Four Arts’ esteemed visiting artists and speakers,” the organization said.
While the pair of Four Arts venues — both of which play host to numerous events during winter social season — are closed for construction, programs will be moved elsewhere, the society said.
The O’Keeffe Speakers series and Sanda and Jeremiah Lambert Concert series will both take place at the Royal Poinciana Chapel, 60 Cocoanut Row. O’Keeffe lectures will take place on Mondays. Films and screenings of recorded-live performances such as the Met Opera will be relocated to Palm Beach Day Academy on Seaview Avenue.
The Children’s Library has found a temporary home on the second floor of the Four Arts’ Dixon Education Building. Its programming is ongoing in the Philip Hulitar Sculpture Garden.
All other programs will take place on the Four Arts campus, with the organization’s eastern half open throughout construction, the society said.
The full schedule of events for the 2026-27 season will be announced this fall.
What is happening at the Four Arts?
Work on the O’Keeffe building includes expanding the auditorium, improving acoustics, adding more backstage space for performers, installing a new air-conditioning system, creating more space for restrooms and adding space on the small second floor for art storage and conservation.
Plans for the Rovensky building include constructing a 10,356-square-foot, three-story addition to the building’s north side; creating a larger children’s library on the first floor; adding new staff offices; creating a boardroom with a terrace; and building new offices for the Garden Club of Palm Beach.
The project was designed by Beyer Blinder Belle, an architecture and planning firm based in New York City, with Spina O’Rourke as the local architect of record. Suffolk Construction is the general contractor.
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Four Arts construction begins in Palm Beach. Here’s what to expect.
Reporting by Kristina Webb, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
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