7. The site is located at the beginning of the High Line, at the intersection of
Washington and Gansevoort Streets. Axis Mundi sought to ground the new
building in a web of “historical axes” which form and organize the program. The
plan is based on a series of sight lines extending to 10th Avenue, the Empire
State Building, the Whitney on Madison, and the location of the original Whitney
on West 10th Street.
A desire for column-free galleries led the architects to create a perimeter
superstructure to contain the staircases, escalators, elevators, and mechanical
rooms. This structural lattice allows the galleries to float freely, suspended
like bridges, unimpeded by a typical grid structure. The lattice allows light to
flood the building in unexpected and dramatic ways, heightening the visitor’s
perception of the artwork and the city.
Maintaining vitality at street level and reducing the distance between the street
and the art itself was an important consideration for the designers at Axis Mundi.
Instead of designing a large vacant lobby, an informal intermingling of public
and private space occurs on the street level plinth, creating a complex folding of
the urban fabric. The plinth is populated by large-scale sculptures, an outdoor
cafe bridge, an info kiosk, and a performance area. A continuous path, weaving
in and out of the lattice structure, leads the visitor from the entrance ramp at
the corner of Washington and Gansevoort up to the panoramic viewing deck,
overlooking the Hudson River and the High Line.
/ Art Museum /
