East Palo Alto Youth Arts & Music Center
Catalyzing a Community by Focusing on the Next Generation In Summer 2015, wHY was invited…
Mulitple gallery experiences, one unified whole
Located in TriBeCa, the new R & Company reimagines an 1869 cast iron storefront as a new model for galleries in the neighborhood. The renovation hosts two large show spaces, an academic research center, archives, offices and a private viewing suite for the gallery, who represent a distinguished group of historical and contemporary designers.
At the ground floor, wHY created a gallery that maximizes available square-footage for exhibits, while offering flexibility to subdivide the space as needed so that layout can change as the requirements of the artworks shift for each show. Towards the back of the space, the full scale of the gallery reveals itself, opening onto a three-story atrium with access to the mezzanine floor and lower gallery.
A grand staircase rendered in marble and brass leads visitors downwards, while a light well against the back wall provides consistent daylight to the areas below. At the mezzanine, offices share space with an archive and research center which support R & Company’s mission to foster a closer study, appreciation, and preservation of 20th and 21st-century design. The lower level hosts additional gallery space as well as offices, a break room and pantry for R & Company’s team.