The Shed at Hudson Yards will be open to the public in approximately one year, but the multi-disciplinary arts center has already offered a tour of the massive facility and has announced one of its commissions. A number of renderings released by the non-profit has also provided the public with its first peek at the spaces that are being developed within the arts center.
Bringing More of the Arts to NYC
According to the information recently released to the public, works across a wide range of disciplines will be on display at the center. Among these will be the work of Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen. Projects with poet Anne Carson and actor Ben Whishaw will also be on display, as will be the works of Kung Fu Panda screenwriters Joanathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. The works of singer Sia will also be on display along with the works of artist Agnes Denes and several others.
Transforming the Center with the Shell
The eight-story center will also serve multiple functions with its innovative design. When the building’s shell fully extends over the adjacent plaza, for example, this space will be known as the McCourt. The space, which was made possible thanks to the $45 million donation from businessman Frank McCort, Jr, will have enough room to seat an audience of 1,250 plus an additional 2,700 as standing room only. When used in combination with the gallery space within the main building at the plaza level, the space will provide enough room for up to 3,000 people to stand. In addition to providing a light, sound, and temperature-controlled space, the shell of the McCourt will also boast a ceiling with a theatrical deck.
The shell itself, which was designed by architect Elizabeth Diller, is made from an exposed steel diagrid frame covered with a Teflon-based polymer. As such, the shell has the thermal properties of insulating glass while weighing a fraction of the weight of glass. Seated upon six massive wheels that run along the rails located on the plaza level, the shell can be deployed via a wireless remote in just six minutes. The opening of the shell is inspired by the industrial past of the neighborhood and the gantry cranes that are found in its railway stations and shipping ports.
Additional Space for Exploration of the Arts
According to the information released to the public, the gallery space on the fourth floor of the building will also boast impressive 19-foot ceilings. Meanwhile, the theater space on the sixth floor will be able to seat up to 500 people as a single large theater or it can be split into two smaller theaters capable of holding 200 people each. The center will also boast an artists lab, event space and rehearsal space on the top floor.
Prior to the opening of The Shed next spring, the center has plans to debut an offsite 13-day arts event on May 1. The event, which will take place on an undeveloped lot at Tenth Avenue and 30th Street, will have concerts, dance battles and other performances.