Transverse Section

HARLEM, NEW YORK, NY

Design Studio Fall 2013
Duration: 8 Weeks
Collaborators: Individual
Critics: Antonio Furgiuele

The studio museum of Harlem Gallery Extension project asked us to create a new art gallery space and classrooms for the Museum, directly across the street from its current location on Martin Luther King Blvd. and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. in Harlem.

 Currently a large public plaza, that traditionally and currently has held major political rallies, concerts, and other events, the design concept was to create an extension of this public plaza.  The faceted, occupiable thin-shell concrete canopy appears as if to be growing out of the plaza itself.  The new canopy creates seating and circulation on top, and new sheltered market space and gallery space beneath it.  Its geometry also helps to control solar exposure during the different seasons, and collects rainwater to be re-used as blackwater in the gallery's plumbing systems.

The gallery space itself features two classrooms, a reception space, two offices/administrative spaces, and a double height exhibition space.  The backpainted glass curtain wall system aims to connect back to the vibrant, warm tones of the plaza's surrounding murals.  

The new gallery not only provides the requested gallery spaces for the Museum, it creates a new public destination in the heart of Harlem.  The canopy brings the plaza to life and allows it to function as multiple programs simultaneously.

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  • Exterior Rendering - Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
  • Exterior Rendering - Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.
  • Diagram A
  • Diagram B
  • Diagram C
  • Diagram D
  • Diagram E
  • Diagram F
  • Diagram G
  • Elevation - Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
  • Longitudinal Section
  • Transverse Section
  • Lower Level Floor Plan
  • Ground Floor Plan
  • Exhibition Space Floor Plan
  • Upper Level Floor Plan