New York-based firms Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Rockwell Group have completed The Shed, a cultural center at Manhattan’s Hudson Yards that features a retractable roof that can be moved to create a performance venue.
The 200,000-square-foot (18,500-square-meter) barn is a new art-loving destination on New York’s northern edge in the Chelsea area, part of Hudson Yards, a massive city complex.
The eight-story cultural facility opened to the public on April 5, 2019, across from the massive Thomas Heatherwick structure, now known as The Vessel, which opened last week.
The Bloomberg Building at The Shed was designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DSR) with assistance from the Rockwell Group as architects. It has a U-shaped mobile roof that is almost twice the size of the art complex.
The building is designed to be flexible and physically adaptable to the needs and requirements of the artists who use the space.
“The building had to be very flexible and even resize as needed,” DSR co-founder Elizabeth Diller told a group of reporters at The Shed’s April 3, 2019, opening. Diller said.
“A new group of artists will come along and find new ways to use the building that we didn’t even know existed,” Diller later told Dezeen. “When artists start using it, they kick it [design] and find all sorts of ways to apply it.”
“The arts in New York are scattered: visual arts, performing arts, dance, theatre, music,” she said. “This is not what the artist thinks today. What about tomorrow? How will the artist think in ten, twenty or three years? The only answer is: we can’t know.”
Described as a “telescopic shell”, the movable roof extends from the main building on trolleys, creating a multi-purpose event space in an adjoining 11,700-square-foot (1,087-square-metre) plaza called The McCourt.
“In my opinion, I want this [The Shed] to be constantly in development,” Diller said, “meaning it’s always getting smarter, it’s always getting more flexible.”
“The building will respond in real time to the challenges posed by the artists and hopefully it will challenge the artists again,” she added.
The removable shed shell consists of an exposed steel trellis frame covered with translucent ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (EFTE) panels. This lightweight and durable material also has the thermal performance of an insulating glass unit, yet weighs only a fraction of the weight.
McCourt has light-colored floors and black blinds that move across EFTE panels to darken the interior and muffle sound.
“There is no back of the house and no front of the house,” Diller said. “It’s just one big space for the audience, technicians and performers in one space.”
The Shed was founded by a group of partners including designers, industry leaders, business people and innovators. Chaired by Daniel Doctoroff, who worked closely with the construction team, and Alex Poots, CEO and art director of The Shed.
Additional guidance is provided by Tamara McCaw as Director of Civil Programs, Hans Ulrich Obrist as Senior Program Adviser and Emma Enderby as Senior Curator.
The main entrance to The Barn is on the north side of West 30th Street and includes a lobby, bookstore, and Cedric’s restaurant. The second entrance is next to The Vessel and Hudson Yards.
Inside, the galleries are columnless and have glass facades, while the floors and ceilings are also supported by thick lines. The top has functional glass walls that can be fully folded down to join the McCourt.
On the sixth floor is a soundproof black box called the Griffin Theatre, with another glass wall that also faces McCourt. The barn’s debut performance, Norma Jean Baker of Troy, starring Ben Whishaw and Renee Fleming, will be screened here.
Reich Richter Pärt, one of The Shed’s first commissions in its lower gallery, features moments created by visual artist Gerhard Richter along with composers Arvo Pärt and Steve Reich.
Completing The Shed is the top floor, which features an event space with large glass walls and two skylights. Next door is a rehearsal space and a creative lab for local artists.
The barn is located at the end of an elevated park designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in association with landscape firm James Corner Field Operations.
Diller came up with the idea for The Shed 11 years ago, after the completion of the High Line, in response to a request for proposals from the city and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
At that time, the area was undeveloped, with industry and railroads. It is reserved by the city for cultural programs and has 20,000 square feet (1,858 square meters) of yard space.
Bloomberg accepted the team’s offer to develop a cultural facility for the development of Hudson Yards.
“It was the peak of the recession and this project seemed unlikely,” Diller said. “It is known that during the economic crisis, art is cut down first of all. But we are optimistic about the monitoring of this project.”
“We started the project without a client, but with spirit and intuition: an anti-establishment institution that will bring all the arts under one roof, in a building that responds to the changing needs of artists. In architecture, all media at all scales, indoors and outdoors, into a future we cannot predict,” she continued.
The Shed mobile shell is located in the adjacent 15 Hudson Yards skyscraper, also designed by DSR and Rockwell. The residential towers are part of a rapidly growing new commercial and residential area: Hudson Yards.
The Shed and 15 Hudson Yards share a service elevator, while The Shed’s backstage space is located on the lower level of 15 Hudson Yards. This sharing allows the majority of The Shed’s base to be used for as many programmable art spaces as possible.
Built on 28 acres (11.3 ha) of active railroad yards, Hudson Yards is currently the largest privately owned complex in the United States.
The opening of Shed completes the first phase of the project, which also includes two sister office buildings and another corporate tower being developed by master planner Hudson Yards KPF. Foster + Partners is also building a tall office building here, and SOM has designed a residential skyscraper here that will house the first Equinox hotel.
Owner Representative: Levien & Company Construction Manager: Sciame Construction LLC Structural, Facade and Energy Services: Thornton Tomasetti Engineering and Fire Consultants: Jaros, Baum & Bolles (JB&B) Energy System Consultants: Hardesty and Hanover Energy Consultants modeling: Vidaris Lighting Consultant: Tillotson Design Associates Acoustic, audio, visual consultant: Theater Acoustics Consultant: Fisher Dachs Structural manufacturer: Cimolai Facade maintenance: Entek engineering
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Our most popular newsletter, formerly known as Dezeen Weekly. Every Thursday we send out a selection of the best reader comments and most talked about stories. Plus periodic Dezeen service updates and latest news.
Published every Tuesday with a selection of the most important news. Plus periodic Dezeen service updates and latest news.
Daily updates of the latest design and architecture jobs posted on Dezeen Jobs. Plus rare news.
News about our Dezeen Awards program, including application deadlines and announcements. Plus periodic updates.
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Post time: Feb-06-2023