New York City officials have long spoken about the need to renovate the Hudson Yards in western Mid Manhattan. This is one of the most neglected, "non-tourist" and depressed areas of the city with predominantly industrial buildings, an abundance of vacant lots, multi-storey garages, parking lots, car repair shops and hangars. From the north, the 10.5-hectare area is cut off by 43rd Street, from the east by 8th Avenue, from the south by 30th Street, and the West Side Highway runs along the western border. There is a general reconstruction plan, in the creation of which several architectural bureaus took part. It is planned to build about 20,000 apartments there, 2.5 million m2 of office space, 300,000 m2 of rented housing and hotels by 2017. In addition, there will be a new school and metro station, 4 hectares of public space.
The flagship of the renovation is likely to be the 16,000 m2 Culture Shed, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with the Rockwell Group. It will take its place in the southern part of the Hudson Yards. Anyone who closely follows the news of foreign architecture will surely remember the successful project of this studio, which appeared in all professional media.
called the High Line - transforming an abandoned section of the elevated railway line into a green pedestrian zone. It is noteworthy that the projects High Line and Culture Shed were created at about the same time, and they need to be considered in a complex manner. It is no coincidence that the architects want to locate the main entrance to the center at the point where the esplanade ends, on West 30th Street.
In New York, oddly enough, there are not enough concert halls and exhibition spaces, so the Culture Shed object is "sharpened" mainly for gallery and recreational functions. It is not planned to form a permanent exhibition here, but it will be possible to hold fairs, festivals, exhibitions, shows, for example, the annual New York Fashion Week.
The rectangular building will be built at the foot of a residential high-rise (also a project by Diller Scofidio + Renfro). It includes three main gallery blocks, as well as lounges and cafes under a glazed roof. However, the most interesting architectural element of the building is the 42 m high glass canopy, which automatically extends on the rails, like a link in a folding telescope. It will cover a significant part of the area near the main facade of the center, forming an additional hall under the roof. The Culture Shed will stand on a relatively high podium with a parking lot inside.
