Snøhetta has renovated a Brooklyn warehouse to create a studio for Cuban-American artist José Parlá, whose murals adorn the lobbies of One World Trade Center and the Barclays Center.

Parlá is well known for his exuberant large-scale paintings, so for the new studio both he and Snøhetta chose to combine the industrial details of an old factory building with a monochrome palette – allowing the artist's work to stand in contrast.

In summer of 2014, José Parlá, the Cuban-American artist and painter, worked with Snøhetta to convert a warehouse in Gowanus, Brooklyn into his new working studio.

The design of Jose’s studio is one in a series of collaborations with Snøhetta, including the integrated artwork for the façade of the Far Rockaway Public Library in Queens, New York. José’s mural, Nature of Language, was completed last year and lives in the Snøhetta-designed James B. Hunt Jr Library at North Carolina State University. 

The architectural solution divides the studio into two main areas - the Arena and the Nest. A pair of interlocking U-shaped wall systems create the studio’s new Arena, the main working area with ample space to exhibit Jose’s current works.

Overlooking the Arena is the studio’s Nest – a cozy mezzanine provides a relaxing space for the artist to take distance from his work, and an elevated location to view his paintings from a new perspective.

This renovation project retains the aesthetics of the building’s working past, including the industrial ceilings and concrete floors. For a more comfortable work environment, the old skylights were re-opened to allow natural light into the middle of the working space. The interiors are painted with neutral grey tones to allow the vibrant colors of José’s paintings to stand out more brightly within the work space.

Upon entering the studio, visitors pass through large folding doors and are welcomed by a small gallery and kitchen. When Parlá Studios hosts an event or wants to more formally display works of art, by repainting the floors and adjusting the wall configuration, the studio quickly transforms into a clean, curated gallery of José’s work and process.

Pivoting walls provide flexibility to accommodate large scale murals, like the recently completed mural for Tower 1 at the World Trade Center, ONE: Union of the Senses, and facilitate the moving and handling of large works.

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Snøhetta is an integrated architecture, landscape, and interior design company based in Oslo, Norway, and New York City, formed in 1989 and led by principals Craig Dykers and Kjetil Thorsen. The firm, which is named after one of Norway's highest mountain peaks, has approximately 100 staff members working on projects around the world. The practice pursues a collaborative, transdisciplinary approach, with people from multiple professions working together to explore diverse perspectives on each project.

Snøhetta has completed a number of critically acclaimed cultural projects, including the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt; the National Opera and Ballet in Oslo, Norway; and the Lillehammer Art Museum in Norway. Current projects include the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion at the World Trade Center site in New York.

In 2004 Snøhetta received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, and in 2009 the firm was honored with the Mies van der Rohe Award. Snøhetta is the only company to have twice won the World Architecture Award for best cultural building, in 2002 for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and in 2008 for the National Opera and Ballet in Oslo.

Snøhetta

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