construction on new whitney museum by renzo piano nears completion

construction on new whitney museum by renzo piano nears completion
photo by timothy schenck
all images courtesy of whitney museum of american art

the whitney museum of american art‘s new building has taken full form, in a stepped motion adjacent to the highline’s southern entrance in new york city’s meatpacking district. designed by italian architect renzo piano, the project began in 2007, and is nearing its planned opening date in the spring of 2015. located on manhattan’s western edge adjacent to the hudson river, the facility will greatly increase the institution’s exhibition and programming space, allowing for it to accommodate its massive collection of modern and contemporary pieces.

architect renzo piano discusses the new museum building for the video series, whitney stories
video courtesy of whitney museum of american art

the new museum building houses approximately 50,000 square feet of indoor gallery space, as well as 13,000 square feet of outdoor exhibit area and terraces facing toward the highline and manhattan’s interior. the design boasts the largest column-free display space in new york city, with an 18,000 room enabling special exhibitions.

for more info on the whitney’s new building, see designboom’s previous coverage here.

a view from the city’s popular elevated park, the highline
photo by timothy schenck

the structure is expressed from its neighbors with an irregular composition
photos by timothy schenck

east facing terraces face toward the center of manhattan
photos by timothy schenck

new york’s west side highway passes by the new museum
photo by ed lederman

photo by timothy schenck

a specialized hoist lifted the building’s large steel façade panels into place
photo by timothy schenck

design team members and museum administrators pose for a photo at the construction site
photo by timothy schenck

floor-to-ceiling glass curtain walls allow for expansive views of the urban context
photo by timothy schenck

the design allows for a wide column-free gallery on the fifth floor
photo by timothy schenck

the building site adjacent to the highline’s southern-most access point
photo by timothy schenck

project team:

owner’s rep: gardiner & theobald, inc.
design architect: renzo piano building workshop
executive architect: cooper, robertson & partners
MEP engineer: jaros, baum & bolles
lighting/daylighting engineer: ove arup & partners
structural engineer: robert silman associates
construction manager: turner construction, LLC