The
Whitney Museum has been founded in 1931 in Greenwich Village, moved to
54th street in 1954, to Madison Avenue in 1966, and now found its new
home in the Meatpacking District. In more recent times its art
collections have seen a substantial growth in size, creating the need
for an extension. The large new building that has now been created
offers enough space for over 19,000 pieces of modern and contemporary
American art.
Designed
by Renzo Piano, the new museum building is asymmetric in form and is
completely clad in vertical grey steel panels. Projections and returns
articulate the elevation overlooking the Hudson River, while the rear of
the building is characterised by a series of staggered terraces used as
outdoor exhibition areas where sculptures are put on show.
The
entrance area on the south side is located below a dramatic
cantilevered canopy and leads into a lobby that serves not only as a
buffer zone between the bustling street and the museum but also as a
freely accessible exhibition space. The galleries are spread out between
the fifth and eight storeys on an area of 4,650 square metres, whereby a
large column-free gallery is used to accommodate large
three-dimensional works of art. The room programme also includes
offices, reading rooms and a café along with a multi-use theatre space
for various types of performances.
The
extension building by Renzo Piano fits in between the Hudson River und
High Line Park like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle. The impressions that
visitors gain of this part of the museum need not be restricted to its
interior but can also extend to the outside, as the staggered terraces
at the rear of the building provide nearly every floor with an outdoor
gallery, thus forming attractive open areas that also encourage visitors
to stop a while and pass the time in the fresh air. Projecting exterior
stairs present differing views of the surroundings and engage the
extension building with its urban setting.
Project data
Client: Whitney Museum of American Art
Team: M.Carroll und E.Trezzani mit K.Schorn, T.Stewart, S.Ishida, A.Garritano, F.Giacobello, I.Guzman, G.Melinotov, L. Priano, L.Stuart and C. Chabaud, J.Jones, G.Fanara, M.Fleming, D.Piano, J.Pejkovic; M.Ottonello (CAD) F.Cappellini, F.Terranova, I.Corsaro (Modelle)
Structure: Robert Silman Associates
Fire protection: Jaros, Baum & Bolles (MEP, fire prevention);
Lighting: Arup
Engineering (Façade): Heintges & Associates
Civil engineering: Phillip Habib & Associates
Theatre equipment: Theatre Projects
Acoustics: Cerami & Associates
Landscape architecture: Piet Oudolf with Mathews Nielson
Construction management: Turner Construction
Client: Whitney Museum of American Art
Team: M.Carroll und E.Trezzani mit K.Schorn, T.Stewart, S.Ishida, A.Garritano, F.Giacobello, I.Guzman, G.Melinotov, L. Priano, L.Stuart and C. Chabaud, J.Jones, G.Fanara, M.Fleming, D.Piano, J.Pejkovic; M.Ottonello (CAD) F.Cappellini, F.Terranova, I.Corsaro (Modelle)
Structure: Robert Silman Associates
Fire protection: Jaros, Baum & Bolles (MEP, fire prevention);
Lighting: Arup
Engineering (Façade): Heintges & Associates
Civil engineering: Phillip Habib & Associates
Theatre equipment: Theatre Projects
Acoustics: Cerami & Associates
Landscape architecture: Piet Oudolf with Mathews Nielson
Construction management: Turner Construction
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