Hudson Yards is the talk of the town in New York City right now, and the good things it has brought discerning Manhattanites, just keep on coming. Adding to the magnificent architecture and abundance of shopping options, is a cultural venue that opens today, and aims to shake up the city’s arts scene by commissioning, producing, and presenting all types of performing arts, visual arts, and popular culture. It may be humbly called The Shed, but occupies a striking building by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Rockwell Group – mind you, the two leading practices also designed the attached 70-storey residential structure known as Fifteen Hudson Yards – that adds to the location’s full-on splendour. The building is marked by a distinctive telescopic shell created from billowing EFTE panels that’s able to slide outwards from the main building, creating additional indoor space whenever needed. Inside, visitors will come across a number of galleries, the 500-seat Griffin Theater, and last but not least, the McCourt, a 17,000 sq.ft. (1,57o sqm.) hall for large-scale performances and shows for audiences ranging from 1,250 seated to more than 2,000 standing. Additionally, a rehearsal space, lab for local artists, and event space can be found on the top floor. The Shed‘s ground floor lobby is home to a McNally Jackson bookshop and a bar called Cedric’s. The venue’s inaugural commissions include Soundtrack of America, a five-night concert series conceived by director Steve McQueen at the McCourt, celebrating the huge impact of African American music on contemporary culture with performances by today’s most exciting emerging musicians, and Reich Richter Pärt, an immersive live performance installation in The Shed’s galleries. Composer Steve Reich and artist Gerhard Richter will debut a world premiere commission, as local groups Ensemble Signal and International Contemporary Ensemble will alternate performances of Reich’s new score in counterpoint with Richter’s new work.
The Shed
545 West 30th Street (Chelsea)
New York, NY 10001
Telephone: +1 646 4553494
Tue-Wed 11-6
Thu-Sat 11-8
Sun 11-6
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
