Photo credit: Rafael Gamo.
- Photo credit: Rafael Gamo.
Spaces for this new artist campus are spread across four low-rise buildings in East Williamsburg. The artist residency and performance venue is split into two cast-in-place concrete structures that define a central verdant courtyard.
The complex’s main building, containing galleries and foundation offices, features a texturally rich facade with metal louvers above cement bricks that are angled to form a houndstooth pattern. Silman designed careful connection details back to the main structure to create a seamless transition between the materials. The firm’s engineers worked with the architect to customize a hidden mounting system for the louvers without any attachment points at the corners.
Main building facade. Photo credit: Rafael Gamo.
Main building corner detail. Photo credit: Rafael Gamo.
Residency building courtyard. Photo credit: Rafael Gamo.
Residency building courtyard. Photo credit: Rafael Gamo.
Courtyard behind main building. Photo credit: Rafael Gamo.
Structural honeycomb canopy panels presented an additional design challenge. Since the manufacturer did not have an in-house engineering team, Silman had to ensure that these panels would meet code requirements for snow loading and drift.
