Floyd bennet art residency
Designed by Jakub Klaban
about
“Adaptive Reuse is an important aspect of managing a sustainable existence. Buildings contain massive amounts of embodied energy and the more we can adapt and repurpose them, the better. Buildings are also repositories of collective memories and histories. As we modify them, these layer in new and interesting ways.” 1
At the end of their first life, hangars 3 and 4 at Floyd Bennett Field offer exquisite potential for adaptive reuse. The buildings ceased to serve aviation, sitting there slowly decaying. Hangars 5-8 have been transformed into a sports complex. The two neighboring hangers are now a natural gas distribution and metering facility for Brooklyn and Queens boroughs.
Hangers 3+4 sit, falling apart, between the carbon economy relic and the sports center. Are these the only options other than demolition? I think not! Given that it is still standing and it is a product of intense labor and a high volume of industrial resources, it is an investment into society that shouldn't spend its remaining days waiting for its end. It’s large square footage and it’s solitary nature has the potential to become something more than just an empty shell of space.​
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Diego Hernández."Adaptive Reuse: From Pork to Plants (and Drugs)" 07Jan2022. ArchDaily.<https://www.archdaily.com/974777/adaptive-reuse-from-pork-to-plants-and-drugs> ISSN 0719-8884
embodied carbon diagram
Given the nature of the site’s location and its spatial qualities, the following proposal envisions this 20th century hangar to become an art residency, offering a quiet and open space for it’s participants to create their work without the distractions of the city, while being in it. The building would offer residential quarters with various layouts, individual working spaces for different mediums, facilities specialized in numerous crafts and social spaces that enrich the life of both its users and visitors coming to Floyd Bennett Field.
plans
The experience of seeking an art residency wouldn't be the same here as anywhere else. This site and the building itself are a threshold of various conditions that can be transitioned almost instantaneously. On the interior, the residents can shift between various levels of privacy, ranging from their individual rooms, working spaces, shared facilities and social spaces. This extends to the exterior where one can find themselves strolling and seeking inspiration within the landscape of Floyd Bennett Field while having the chance to visit Manhattan or the cultural hub of Brooklyn. The site has a remote, almost isolated nature, removing the distractions of life from the artist, enabling them to focus on work and networking while maintaining a connection to the life of the city.
Due to NYC having a large audience interested in art and design, the site also gains a purpose of being a cultural attraction. Not only is the project offering escape to the natural habitat of Gateway National Park, that houses Floyd Bennett Field, but it becomes a destination where one can see and experience the work of the next generation of artists. It also gives the artists a chance to expose themselves to the public, showcasing their work to general visitors and also individuals and collectors seeking to purchase artwork.
circulation diagram
