HBBX: The New Croton Gallery and Art Walk (2010)

Center for Architecture, New York

Emerging Architects New York HBBX Competition & Exhibition (Honorable Mention)

This project exists specifically to create a place for art within the unique site of the old Croton Aqueduct. Located along the existing physical infrastructure of the aqueduct, the proposal utilizes the High Bridge itself as a foundation and datum for the gallery component of the project. By creating a long-spanning covered arcade that stretches from the Manhattan side to the Bronx side, the gallery utilizes spaces above and below the bridge to create many different configurations for its various programs. By transforming architecturally along its length, the project is able to precisely choreograph the display of art and site from its prominent position above the water. The gallery’s roof is to be a new public promenade accessible from the level of the street, replacing the old promenade displaced by the gallery itself. On either side of the long gallery are points of intense urban connection, manifested by transitive structures housing additional art programs. These buildings provide access to the gallery itself by navigating the steep cliff-side topography of High Bridge Park, anchoring themselves into the earth and inviting the public into their spaces which mark the realm of art.