Adjaye Associates have submitted plans for the proposed US$122m (€110m, £79.1m) Studio Museum in Harlem – an institute promoting the work of artists of African descent.
The five-storey museum by British-Tanzanian architect David Adjaye will be built on the existing site of New York’s Studio Museum, marking the 50th anniversary of the institution which also champions local artists.
The plans offer 70,000sq ft (6,500sq m) of space, 10,000sq ft (929sq m) of which is for galleries. In addition, the design features dedicated education spaces, a café and a free-to-enter roof area for sculptures and events, as well as a wide, glass-fronted lobby, which will also include a lower level to serve as a setting for public programmes.
New York-based practice Cooper Robertson – which recently worked on
Renzo Piano’s nearby Whitney Museum – is acting as executive architect and programme planning consultant for the project.
The city is contributing US$35m (€31.8m, £22.7m) to the development, while the Ford Foundation donated US$3m (€2.7m, £1.9m), and the remainder is coming from fundraising and other outside sources.
“This project is about pushing the museum typology to a new place and thinking about the display and reception of art in innovative ways,” said David Adjaye.
“It is also about a powerful urban resonance – drawing on the architectural tropes of Harlem and celebrating the history and culture of this extraordinary neighbourhood with a building that will be a beacon for a growing local, national and international audience.”
Assuming planning permission is granted, work on the development is expected to start in 2017, with an opening date of 2019.
