Sperone Westwater Gallery

Sciame was the Construction Manager responsible for the construction of the eight-story gallery located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, one block north of the New Museum. Prompted by Sperone Westwater’s increasing need for larger and more flexible space, the design doubled the exhibition area and provided a variety of rooms for the gallery.

A distinctive innovation in the design includes a moving exhibition space, a 12 x 20-foot moving hall that connects the five floors where works of art will be on view. This exhibition space now allows visitors to move gradually between levels. A prominent feature along the Bowery, its gentle pace contrasts with the fast-moving traffic. At any given floor, the exhibition space can be extended by parking the moving hall as required.

The two layers of facade that house the moving exhibit act as a buffer zone, protecting the building from extreme temperatures and acoustically insulating the galleries. A series of openings in the outer layer of this façade, together with the moving exhibition elements, provides a natural flow of air and supports the building’s sustainable agenda.

The design incorporates a mezzanine floor and doubleheight display area at street level, a sculpture terrace towards the park and a private viewing gallery at the top of the public floors. A setback marks the location of the offices. Works of art will be stored primarily in the basement, while an extensive library is located at the top of the building below the mechanical floor. The design will set new standards in experiencing art and pioneer an innovative approach to vertical movement within a gallery building.