The designed object museum - on 310 Lafayette Street - is located on a prominent site popularized by its seemingly never ending views down the busy streets of the Soho District of Manhattan. The intersection of Houston and Lafayette is home to some of most desirable advertising space in all of New York.
The organization is simply created by the contrasting elements of mass and void. Galleries are carved out of two large concrete masses, and the central void acts as a transition space between galleries and provides the main vertical path of circulation. The building protrudes over the street to capture a strong visual connection with its context.
The skeletal frame is constructed with structural glass supported by steel webbing to create the bridge of glass between the galleries. The solid mass is constructed with concrete double tee slabs. Acoustic ceiling slabs conceal the mechanical systems and lighting fixtures.
Museum Lobby and Gift Shop
Circulation Space and Gallery Transition
The ground floor provides three public entrances on all street facing sides of the building. The main entrance on Houston immediately transitions into the design objects gift shop. The east-west entrances introduce visitors to the museum lobby.
The second floor welcomes visitors to the only triple height gallery space that faces the the popular intersection on Houston street. Small, intimate spaces continue to house galleries on the third and fifth floor.
The top floor provides access to the rooftop cafe and bar to cap off the vertical procession with the views overlooking the streets of the Soho District.
