concept & vision

The Chelsea Art Tower is a 19-story concrete structure that houses one contemporary art gallery on every floor. Recycled shipping containers are inserted into this basic concrete frame along one edge of both front and back elevations. These containers are retrofitted off site to house bathrooms, mechanical and storage rooms. The rest of the space on each floor is left undivided to offer open plan flexibility to all galleries.

architecture & design

The remaining part of both front and back elevations is enclosed with a light floor-to-ceiling metal framing that supports glazing on the outside and removable wall panels on the inside. This system of removable, insulated wall panels allows each gallery to change the ratio of opaque/transparent wall surface along the perimeter to regulate incoming sunlight - thus conserving energy - and to respond to lighting and display surface needs for exhibition spaces. Passenger elevators are exposed along the east elevation. An inward bend in the front elevation at the base of the tower penetrates into a front moat to bring natural light into the basement gallery. A single side cantilever starts at the 12th floor to expand the top floors that recede along the front elevation according to city setback regulations.