Renovation and expansion of the SculptureCenter

22/05/2015. By Andrew Berman. Long Island City [NYC] USA
metalocus, ALEJANDRA COTONER
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The SculptureCenter in the city of Long Island opened on October 5, 2014, after its renovation and expansion by the architect Andrew Berman.
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Andrew Berman adds 610 m² of structure supplementing the steel and brick structure of the existing building. The new facade of SculptureCenter is formed by steel panels, more aptly establishing the building’s presence on Purves Street, addressing the SculptureCenter’s long time need for a better and more public entrance to the galleries.

Description of the project by Andrew Berman

On October 5, 2014, the SculptureCenter opened its newly expanded and renovated art space in Long Island City. The expansion, significantly funded through public and private contribution, includes a 2,000 square foot addition to the museums’s renovated original structure.

The design of the new building honors and compliments the robust steel and brick structure of the existing building, a former trolley repair shop. Built in 1908, this building was purchased by SculptureCenter in 2001 and renovated by Maya Lin with the understanding that a later expansion would be necessary to fully meet the institution’s needs.

A series of sixteen-foot high Cor-Ten steel panels form the building’s new facade, more aptly establishing the building’s presence on Purves Street, addressing the SculptureCenter’s long time need for a better and more public entrance to the galleries. Behind this facade, a new entry court and entryway join the new building and the existing structure. The new building contains an entry lobby, a ticketing area, a bookshop, a coatroom, restroom facilities, and various gallery spaces. In addition to increasing the SculptureCenter’s programming space by twenty-five percent, the new structure also provides ADA access via a new elevator and new egress stairs. These modifications enable the cellar-level vault spaces to be used as gallery space. A 1,500 square foot courtyard also provides SculptureCenter an outdoor exhibition and event space.

The new entry sequence allows for arrival, orientation, and a slow, curated revealing of the art, culminating in the spaces of the original building. In this manner, the full potential of the adaptive re-use of an old industrial structure is allowed by the nuanced and calibrated interventions and support spaces of the new building.

The project budget was $4.5 million. Generous funding was provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Queens Borough President’s office. The New York State Council on the Arts, and the SculptureCenter’s Board of Trustees also contributed generously to this project. The project was awarded and administered through the NYC Department of Design and Construction Design Excellence Program.

CREDITS. DATA SHEET.-

Architect.- Andrew Berman
Location.- Long Island City, NY
Completed.- 2014
Area.- 11,800 sf

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More information

ANDREW BERMAN

Andrew Berman Architect PLLC is a New York based practice focused on the realization of unique and finely executed spaces. The work of the studio capitalizes on the qualities of place and seeks creative opportunities in the desires and programmatic requirements of the client. A consistent engagement with our clients, professional consultants, contractors, engineers and fabricators throughout design and construction is a key means for the office to generate ideas and provide works of the greatest quality and expression.

Andrew Berman Architect was founded in 1995 and has gained recognition through notable projects such as the AIA Center for Architecture, the Writing Studio, FDNY Engine Company 259 Firehouse, MoMA PS1 Entrance Building and Gallery Renovations, The National Opera Center and the SculptureCenter. Current projects include a renovation of the Lower East Side Ecology Center, a two-stage theater for the MCC Theater Company, several artists' studios, as well as residential commissions.

Andrew D. Berman received a Bachelor of Arts from Yale College and a Master of Architecture from the Yale School of Architecture in 1988 where he was awarded the Takenaka Komuten Traveling Fellowship in Osaka, Japan. In 2010, Andrew received the Emerging Voices Award given by the Architectural League of New York, and in 2014 was made a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.

Since its founding in 1995 the practice has gained recognition through notable projects such as the Center for Architecture for the American Institute of Architects (2003), Writing Studio (2008), FDNY Engine Company 259 Firehouse (2009), MoMA PS1 Entrance Building (2011), The National Opera Center (2012), Stapleton Library (2013), and SculptureCenter (2014). In 2010, Andrew received the Emerging Voices Award given by The Architectural League of New York and in 2014 became a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. In 2016 Andrew was the recipient of the Architecture Award from The American Academy of Arts and Letters.

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