the shed's building gets a new name, as opening date announced for NYC arts center

the shed — the much-anticipated center for the arts at the heart of new york city — has announced that it will launch its opening season on april 5, 2019. the venue — which won THE DESIGN PRIZE 2018 public vote for social impact — will present world premiere works in the performing arts, visual arts, and popular culture when it opens its doors to the public as part of hudson yards — the largest private real estate development in the history of the united states. it has also been revealed that the shed’s building, designed by diller scofidio + renfro as lead architect and rockwell group as collaborating architect, will be named after michael r. bloomberg, the city’s mayor between 2002 and 2013.

the shed under construction, as seen from the high line in december 2018
image by brett beyer | video courtesy of diller scofidio + renfro

the shed’s ‘bloomberg building’ is a 200,000-square-foot (18,500 sqm) structure that can physically transform to support a wide range of events and programming. the eight-level base building includes two expansive, column-free galleries totaling 25,000 square feet (2,340 sqm) of museum-quality space; a 500-seat theater that can be subdivided into more intimate spaces; and on the top floor, the tisch skylights for events and artist rehearsals, and the tisch lab for artist development. these areas have been named after two of the project’s key supporters, jonathan m. tisch and his wife lizzie tisch.

the bloomberg building viewed from the east in october 2018
image by brett beyer

the movable outer shell can double the building’s footprint when deployed over the adjoining plaza to create ‘the mccourt’, a 17,000-square-foot (1,600 sqm) light-, sound-, and temperature-controlled space for large-scale performances, installations, and events. named in recognition of entrepreneur, philanthropist, and shed board member frank h. mccourt, jr., the setting can accommodate audiences ranging from 1,250 seated to over 2,000 standing. when the space is not needed, the movable shell can nest over the base building, opening the plaza for outdoor use and programming.

the movable outer shell can double the building’s footprint when deployed
image by timothy schenck

the shell, which can be deployed in five minutes, travels on a double-wheel track based on gantry crane technology commonly found in shipping ports and railway systems. a rack-and-pinion drive moves the shell forward and back on four single-axle and two double-axle bogie wheels that measure six feet (1.82 m) in diameter. the exposed steel diagrid frame is clad in translucent pillows of durable and lightweight teflon-based polymer, known as ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE). with the thermal properties of insulating glass at a fraction of the weight, ETFE allows light to pass through and can withstand hurricane-force winds.

the structure, which forms part of hudson yards, neighbors the high line
image by timothy schenck

with construction now nearing completion, the final phase of the project will include installation of metal cladding and related architectural finishes at the escalators and corridor areas, as well as the placement of polished concrete topping slabs on all base building floors. in the shed’s plaza, paving stones will also be installed to create lawrence weiner’s site-specific artwork titled ‘in front of itself’. the shed is pursuing a LEED certification from the U.S. green building council, which is expected in early 2019.

interior view of the mccourt, october 2018
image by brett beyer

operating hours for exhibitions at the shed will be tuesday, wednesday, and sunday from 11 am to 6 pm; and thursday, friday, and saturday from 11 am to 8 pm. admission to exhibitions at the shed will be $10, which provides access to all exhibitions on view that day (admission is free for children/teens 18 years and under, and shed members). live productions at the shed will be ticketed and priced separately from exhibitions, with days and times varying by show. see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

rendering of the mccourt, one of the scheme’s most distinctive components
image courtesy of diller scofidio + renfro

the same space shown with a stage and seating
image courtesy of diller scofidio + renfro

standing room can also be accommodated
image courtesy of diller scofidio + renfro

rendering of the gallery on level 4
image courtesy of diller scofidio + renfro

rendering of the theater on level 6
image courtesy of diller scofidio + renfro

rendering of the shed and lawrence weiner’s ‘in front of itself’
image courtesy of diller scofidio + renfro

project info:

lead architect: diller scofidio + renfro
collaborating architect: rockwell group
owner’s representative: levien & company
construction manager: sciame construction, LLC
structural design, façade engineering and kinetic engineering services: thornton tomasetti
MEP & fire protection consultant: jaros, baum & bolles (JB&B)
kinetic systems consultant: hardesty and hanover
energy modeling consultant: vidaris
lighting consultant: tillotson design associates
acoustics / audio / visual consultant: akustiks
theater consultant: fisher dachs
structural steel fabricator: cimolai
official website: theshed.org