Login
Registered users
WH_Art Gallery responds to the need for spaces tailored to the display of art on the cutting edge of technology. This rethinking of exhibition design also prompts an interrogation of the role of the art gallery today. Recognizing art as a driving factor for social life in the city, and the gallery as a locus of activity, the design moves away from the static “white cube” model. It instead offers diverse settings that can be adjusted to changing needs. The innovation of the gallery serves as a complement to the art, reflecting changing attitudes towards its display and interaction with viewers.
The project renovates and expands an existing building in a vibrant part of West Hollywood. The project interacts with the neighborhood from the street to the roof terrace, enhancing the role of the art space as a place of gathering. Whether visiting the gallery or passing on the sidewalk, the project engages everyone in a continual art happening. The lights and vivid colors of the pieces within shine through an ETFE membrane front, rendering the façade a dynamic, framed art piece. Operable screen panels activate the street level by inviting pedestrians to rotate them in different positions as an ad-hoc installation. At the roof, an operable skylight over the main gallery and a rotating trellis over the terrace create an ever-changing “fifth elevation” for the area as it grows vertically.
The project complies with advanced California Building Energy Efficiency Standards, which outline strict regulations to keep carbon emissions to a minimum. Additionally, ETFE is the primary filter for light, chosen for recyclability and its performance over glass in terms of durability, insulation, and structural requirements. Moveable panels and an operable roof pergola allow the building to monitor and adjust shading according to solar patterns and the gallery’s needs, conserving energy usage over time. Furthermore, the main gallery’s skylight can lift, allowing open air to pass through as passive ventilation. Planters surround the roof terrace, providing lush greenery that serves as a screen for the street and neighbors while framing spectacular views towards the Hollywood hills.
The project remodels an existing two-story building and adds a third floor and a roof terrace, doubling the usable floor area. The below-ground garage provides employee parking as well as an upgraded loading and staging area for the gallery’s art shows. Facing the street are two lobbies for the both the art galleries and the retail showroom above. Half of the second floor are two galleries showcasing rotating collections, a shop, terrace, and back-of-house. The other half of the floor is a retail showroom space that privately connects to the other galleries.
WH_Art Gallery dedicates an added third floor to displays of advanced technologies, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and imersive arts. A multi-purpose gallery faces the street, allowing for moving-image artwork to filter through the ETFE façade. A second gallery space features an operable skylight spanning the entire room. The lightweight ETFE roof allows the space to literally expand and contract vertically, enabling the possibility for various exhibitions and enhancing viewer experience.
The new rooftop boasts gardens and a patio. The pergola covering the patio is a mechanically operated trellis, adjustable for various weather conditions. The rooftop is a multi-purpose space accommodating myriad activities, allowing for more events and the display of outdoor art. As a result, the project welcomes artwork of a vast range of mediums and audiences, while gathering the public into a new social and cultural hub.
WH_Art Gallery demonstrates the changing nature of art and the way in which it is displayed. The progressive nature of the art mandates spaces more closely tailored to their attributes. By rendering the exterior semi-translucent, the project opens the building to the most striking features of the works, elegantly enhancing its architecture. Through energetic spaces and dynamic parts, the gallery ensures visitors have a unique experience of both the artwork and the building that houses it.
Studio Antares A+E is a collaborative practice with aim on integration of architecture, arts and environment through emphasis on advanced methods of project delivery. We operate in a think-tank type of environment assembling team of experts for the particular needs of each job. Based in Los Angeles, California and practicing throughout the United States and abroad, we strive to understand the specific cultural context of each task that we undertake and to find a unique solution for each particular challenge.
