-
Architects: Selldorf Architects
- Year: 2008
-
Photographs: Nikolas Koenig
Text description provided by the architects. Located in Chelsea between 10th and 11th Avenues and situated between two other prominent New York galleries, this building is a secondary exhibition space for the Gladstone Gallery and was designed to house large installations of sculpture. Respecting the area’s industrial warehouse buildings, the façade is constructed of dark grey hand-cut brick of unusual proportions, laid with filled joints to underscore the monumental appearance. The façade features a large opening on the ground floor and ribbon windows on the upper levels.
Large roof trusses are the only remnants of the sound studio that was formerly on the site. The main exhibition area is a dramatic, 50 x 50-foot column-free space with 22-foot ceilings. A large, single-slope industrial skylight, glazed with sandblasted wire glass, admits abundant daylight.
The ground floor also incorporates a receiving/storage space as well as a reception area and a director’s office. The second floor is dedicated to a smaller exhibition space and private showroom, while the third floor houses offices and another private sky-lit showroom. A large freight elevator and a tall stair tower connecting the floors are located on the west side of the building. The electrical lighting, materials and details are simple and as subtle as possible so as not to detract attention from the art.