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Shifting the Old Order
Shifting the Old Order
The world will always be in need of access to the arts, bringing us to an empty lot. This property on the intersection of two of New York City’s most culturally relevant streets remains vacant. The design challenge presented was to create an arts center capable of housing various forms of media; including theatrical performances, audio recording, VR spaces, and artist exhibitions. The design solution must work hand-in-hand with the needs of the community to provide services for all to enjoy.
2019-2020 Penn State, 3rd Year Architecture Design Studio,, 23 weeks
The Corner of 5th Ave. and 125th St., New York City
Site Conditions
Site Conditions
The site sits on the corner of 125th and 5th with buildings up against it on both sides. The program for this building requires several levels and will likely make it taller than many of the other buildings in the area. The location in itself is of great significance. 5th Ave is considered by many as a cultural center for the city, bordering many theatres, museum, mansions, and parks. 125th St, however, became he cultural hub for Harlem during their cultural renaissance. The street featured many African-American own businesses and entertainment venues, many of which still exist today. It is this corner where two very different versions of New York City meet, seemingly giving this theatre much life.
125th St.
5th Ave.
Original Concept: Shifting Structures
Original Concept: Shifting Structures
The original idea for the placement of the program and structure comes from the notion that the city of New York in itself is a living building, full of different program spaces and circulation spaces. Within this building, the programmatic elements have been boxed up, and their shifted placement determines where the beams and columns can be located. In this case, the program and the structural system define the spaces of the media center.
Diagram showcasing shifting program boxes and the placement of structure based on these movements
Structural Concept Model
displace and circulate
displace and circulate
Harlem New Media Arts takes its inspiration from the “programmatic box gird” that makes up the city of New York with the streets that run between them acting as a negative space between. The media elements that make up the program are split apart and boxed up, stacking and shifting to create negative space in between. These new spaces become the circulation spaces towards the building’s perimeter, and can be seen on the façade with the location of the windows. This is indicated where the programmatic boxes do not touch the perimeter of the building. Every wall is perpendicular to each other, and the façade is asymmetrical to draw emphasis to the street corner of 5th Avenue and 125th Street, the proverbial crossing place of the New York created by millionaires and the New York cultivated by the African American community in the early 1900’s.
Day and nighttime elevations of 125th St (Highlighting building's circulation spaces)
Green Spaces
Green Spaces
In many of the negative spaces created by the shifting boxes, green spaces exist as part of the lobby spaces that people are able to mingle in. These spaces are placed against the building perimeter to maximize the amount of sun they are able to receive throughout the year. In summer months, the plants passively condition the air coming into the space using vents embedded in the façade windows, creating more efficient HVAC air flow in these spaces.
Harlem Solar Chart
Second Floor Lobby (right) and Entrance Courtyard (left)
View of Harlem New Media Arts Center from the intersection of 125th St and 5th Ave
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