Silman provided guidance on the structural support needed for the 5-ton aquarium, contributing to the design team’s choice of lightweight acrylic over glass.
The Brant Foundation Art Building is located within the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District.
- The Brant Foundation Art Building is located within the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District.
The 4-story building at 421 East 6th Street, now used as a private gallery, was originally built as a Con Edison transformer station. It also served as the studio of artist Walter De Maria until 2013.
Silman’s scope of renovation work included the reconstruction of the existing penthouse, new openings in existing masonry shear walls, new mechanical dunnage at the rear and on the roof, accessibility upgrades including a larger elevator, and a new hatch through the second to fourth floors for large art hoists.
In total, the project team created 7,000 sf of exhibition space.
A 120 sf aquarium skylight provides additional daylighting for the fourth floor gallery and serves as a reflecting pool for the roof deck.
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Silman provided guidance on the structural support needed for the 5-ton aquarium, contributing to the design team’s choice of lightweight acrylic over glass.
