The Shed (formerly known as Culture Shed and Hudson Yards Cultural Shed) is a
cultural center
A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run.
Asia
* Cen ...
in
Hudson Yards,
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. Opened on April 5, 2019, the Shed commissions, produces, and presents a wide range of activities in performing arts, visual arts, and pop culture.
The Shed is located in the Bloomberg Building, adjacent to the northern leg of the
High Line
The High Line is a elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. The High Line's design is a collaboration between James Corner Field Opera ...
elevated park, near the
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
gallery district. It is attached to
15 Hudson Yards
15 Hudson Yards (originally known as Tower D) is a residential skyscraper on Manhattan's West Side (Manhattan), West Side, completed in 2019. Located in Chelsea, Manhattan, Chelsea near Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, Hell's Kitchen Penn Station (New ...
, a skyscraper within the
Hudson Yards real estate development, although the Shed itself is located on city-owned land. The cultural center is maintained by an independent
nonprofit cultural organization of the same name. The CEO/Artistic Director for the Shed is
Alex Poots. The Chairman of the Board of Directors is
Jonathan Tisch
Jonathan Mark Tisch (born December 7, 1953) is an American businessman. He is the CEO of American luxury hospitality company Loews Hotels. Tisch is also a trustee of Tufts University, and a board member of the Tribeca Film Institute.
He is a co ...
, who succeeded founding Chairman
Daniel Doctoroff in 2022.
Construction on the Shed started in 2015, using a design from lead architect
Diller Scofidio + Renfro Diller has several uses including:
People with the surname
*Barry Diller (b. 1942), American businessman
*Burgoyne Diller
Burgoyne A. Diller (January 13, 1906 – January 30, 1965) was an American abstract painter. Many of his best-known w ...
and collaborating architect
Rockwell Group Rockwell may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Rockwell'' (album), a 2009 mini-album by Anni Rossi
* Rockwell, a fictional town and setting of ''They Hunger''
* ''Rockwell'', a 1994 film about Porter Rockwell
* Rockwell, Maine, a f ...
. Structural engineering, the
facade, and kinetic design was provided by
Thornton Tomasetti
Thornton Tomasetti (formerly the Thornton-Tomasetti Group, Thornton Tomasetti Engineers, Lev Zetlin & Associates, LZA Technology and Weidlinger Associates) is a global, 1,500-plus person scientific and engineering consulting firm.
Services
Tho ...
.
Hardesty & Hanover was the mechanization consultant. The Shed features several architectural features, including a retractable shell that creates a space, named The McCourt, for large-scale performances, installations and events; a 500-seat theater; and two levels of exhibition space. The plans for the cultural center have drawn praise from numerous media outlets and art institutions. It was initially criticized by the surrounding community, but as construction progressed, media reviews of the Shed have leaned more positive.
History
Rezoning
In January 2005, the
New York City Council approved the rezoning of about 60 blocks from 28th to 43rd Streets; in 2009, after the stadium failed to win state approval, the West Side Yard was similarly rezoned. As rezoned, the Hudson Yards area will have of Class A office space, 20,000 housing units, of hotel space, 750-seat public school, of retail and more than of public open space, which includes building
a subway extension of the 7 train to help encourage development of the Hudson Yards area.
In May 2010, the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area of the U.S. state of New York. The MTA is the largest public transit authority in th ...
(MTA) leased the
air rights
Air rights are the property interest in the "space" above the earth's surface. Generally speaking, owning, or renting, land or a building includes the right to use and build in the space above the land without interference by others.
This lega ...
over the rail yard for 99 years, at a price of to a joint venture of
Related Companies
The Related Companies, L.P. is an American real estate firm in New York City, with offices and developments in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, Abu Dhabi, London, São Paulo and Shanghai. Related has more than 3,0 ...
and
Oxford Properties Group, which built a platform above both the eastern and western portions of the yard on which to construct the buildings, including what was then known as the Culture Shed.
In April 2013, the Related/Oxford joint venture obtained a $475 million construction loan from parties including Barry Sternlicht's Starwood Property Group and luxury retailer Coach. The financing deal was unique in several aspects, including the fact that it included a construction mezzanine loan, that Coach was a lender on both the debt and equity sides, and that the MTA helped create the "severable lease" structure that allowed for the loans.
Funding and land ownership
![Hudson Yards platform for Culture Shed Sept 2014](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Hudson_Yards_platform_for_Culture_Shed_Sept_2014.jpg)
As part of the Hudson Yards rezoning plan, the city preserved a parcel of city-owned land on West 30th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues, adjacent to The High Line, for future cultural use. Dan Doctoroff, then the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding, spearheaded the effort to determine what should go there. Working closely with then Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate Levin, they determined the space "should be a highly flexible one that could cater to the growing desire of many artists to break out of their silos and blend disciplines."
The City issued a Request for Proposals for this new cultural facility in 2008 at the height of the recession. The City selected Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Lead Architect and Rockwell Group, Collaborating Architect to develop their concept for a flexible building, an “architecture of infrastructure” that could house all the creative disciplines under one roof. The Shed, a relatively small six-story building compared to the Hudson Yards
skyscrapers,
was built at the south side of the Hudson Yards development site. The city retains ownership of the land on which the Shed is built and provided Capital Grant funding for the project.
Funding for the Shed was secured from the City in July 2013.
Former Mayor
Michael Bloomberg quietly donated $15 million to the Shed in 2012, then added another $60 million of donations five years later.
The city had also given $50 million toward the project in 2013, representing the single largest capital grant given by the city that year; this funding was later raised to $75 million.
[ , the Shed had received $529 million in donations for its $550 million capital campaign to fund building construction, programming and start-up expenses.]
Construction
The Shed, a nonprofit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
, was formed in 2012 to oversee construction of the building, and to run the building when it opens. In 2013, Dan Doctoroff became Chairman. In that capacity, he led the $550 million capital campaign and the board of directors, oversaw the building's design and construction, and managed the search for the artistic director. The design of the Shed's building is a collaboration between two New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
architectural firms: Lead architect Diller Scofidio + Renfro Diller has several uses including:
People with the surname
*Barry Diller (b. 1942), American businessman
*Burgoyne Diller
Burgoyne A. Diller (January 13, 1906 – January 30, 1965) was an American abstract painter. Many of his best-known w ...
and collaborating architect Rockwell Group Rockwell may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Rockwell'' (album), a 2009 mini-album by Anni Rossi
* Rockwell, a fictional town and setting of ''They Hunger''
* ''Rockwell'', a 1994 film about Porter Rockwell
* Rockwell, Maine, a f ...
. The main contractor was Sciame, while the steel fabricator was Cimolai.
Construction of the Shed over the West Side Yard, began after caissons were sunk to support a platform over the tracks. The platform supporting the towers, comprising 16 bridges, was completed in late 2014. The construction of the building itself began in mid-2015. The name of the space was changed to simply "The Shed" in 2016. The retractable shell was completed by 2017. Although early reports stated that the building would open in 2017 or 2018, a 2015 report placed the opening date at 2019. , the pace of construction indicated that the Shed was projected to open in either 2018 or 2019.
By early January 2019, it was announced that the Shed would open on April 5, 2019, with four live productions and exhibitions. The Shed's building at Hudson Yards was ceremonially renamed as the Bloomberg Building after former mayor Bloomberg, who donated $75 million of the structure's predicted $475 million cost. In addition, the Shed signed a contract with Altice USA
Altice USA, Inc., commonly known as Altice, is an American cable television provider with headquarters in New York City. It delivers pay television, Internet access, telephone services, and original television content to approximately 4.9 mill ...
, who would become the Shed's "exclusive connectivity provider". A dedication ceremony for the Shed was held on April 1, 2019. The Shed opened as scheduled four days later.
Design
The Shed is a visual arts and performing arts center located at the Hudson Yards development's southern edge. The structure includes of column-free exhibition space, of "museum-quality" space, a theater with seating for up to 500 people, and an expandable, shell that uses industrial crane technology, allowing the space to expand and contract to accommodate many events and audiences. Viewers of indoor shows and exhibitions will be charged admission.
The Shed's main entrance is on 30th Street under the High Line
The High Line is a elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. The High Line's design is a collaboration between James Corner Field Opera ...
; secondary entrances are located in the Hudson Yards public plaza. The Shed's Hudson Yards plaza entrance is located close to the 34th Street–Hudson Yards subway entrance. There are two galleries indoors on the first and second levels. On the third level is a flexible space that can be used for performances or exhibits. The wraparound shell weighs , and is made of an exposed steel frame clad in a fluorine-based plastic called ETFE
Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) is a fluorine-based plastic. It was designed to have high corrosion resistance and strength over a wide temperature range. ETFE is a polymer and its source-based name is poly(ethene-co-tetrafluoroethene). It is ...
, which has the thermal properties of insulating glass at a fraction of the weight. The shell can close and open within 5 minutes and when the shell is retracted, the open-air plaza becomes a publicly accessible outdoor space. The shell retracts on eight bogie wheels, each in diameter, powered by a total of six 15-horsepower
Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are t ...
motors. The Shed is directly adjacent to 15 Hudson Yards
15 Hudson Yards (originally known as Tower D) is a residential skyscraper on Manhattan's West Side (Manhattan), West Side, completed in 2019. Located in Chelsea, Manhattan, Chelsea near Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, Hell's Kitchen Penn Station (New ...
and the High Line.
Events, commissions, and management
The Shed is planned to host many cultural events including for art, performance, film, design, food, fashion, and new combinations of cultural content. At least one event, New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning 7–9 days when international fashion collections are shown to buyers, the press, and the general publ ...
, is considering moving to the Shed for all of its exhibitions.
In 2014, Alex Poots was named the CEO/Artistic Director of the Shed. He was formerly the director of the Manchester International Festival
The Manchester International Festival is a biennial international arts festival, with a specific focus on original new work, held in the English city of Manchester and run by Factory International. The festival is a biennial event, first taking ...
and Park Avenue Armory
__NOTOC__
The Park Avenue Armory Conservancy, generally known as Park Avenue Armory, is a nonprofit cultural institution within the historic Seventh Regiment Armory building located at 643 Park Avenue on New York City's Upper East Side. The ins ...
prior to assuming his position at the Shed. In 2017, Poots earned $870,239 in compensation from the Shed.
Notable events
In fall 2016, the Shed started a citywide dance program about social justice
Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, Equal opportunity, opportunities, and Social privilege, privileges within a society. In Western Civilization, Western and Culture of Asia, Asian cultures, the concept of social ...
issues.[ It also partnered with the ]MIT Media Lab
The MIT Media Lab is a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, growing out of MIT's Architecture Machine Group in the School of Architecture. Its research does not restrict to fixed academic disciplines, but draws from ...
to assist artists who were creating works involving virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...
and artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...
.
The first permanent art commission for the Shed was announced in May 2017. Artist Lawrence Weiner
Lawrence Charles Weiner (February 10, 1942December 2, 2021) was an American conceptual artist. He was one of the central figures in the formation of conceptual art in the 1960s. His work often took the form of typographic texts, a form of word a ...
was commissioned to decorate the plaza with pavers arranged into letters, which would spell the phrase "In front of itself".[ The exhibitions and performances announced before the building's April 5, 2019, opening included a concert series exploring the impact of African American music conceived and directed by Steve McQueen and a creative team including ]Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
; a collaboration between artist Gerhard Richter
Gerhard Richter (; born 9 February 1932) is a German visual artist. Richter has produced abstract as well as photorealistic paintings, and also photographs and glass pieces. He is widely regarded as one of the most important contemporary Germa ...
and music composers Steve Reich and Arvo Pärt, the eponymous " Reich Richter Pärt'; "Norma Jeane Baker of Troy", a performance piece by the poet Anne Carson
Anne Carson (born June 21, 1950) is a Canadian poet, essayist, translator, classicist, and professor.
Trained at the University of Toronto, Carson has taught classics, comparative literature, and creative writing at universities across the Unit ...
with music by Paul Clark, starring Ben Whishaw
Benjamin John Whishaw (born 14 October 1980) is an English actor and producer. After winning a British Independent Film Award for his performance in ''My Brother Tom'' (2001), he was nominated for an Olivier Award for his portrayal of the titl ...
and Renee Fleming; and an exhibition of work from artist Trisha Donnelly. This would be followed by several other shows in quick succession. In summer 2018, the Shed hosted an exhibition by Tony Cokes about gentrification.
From May 6, 2019, to June 1, 2019, Icelandic music artist Björk performed a concert series known as " Björk's Cornucopia", which took place entirely on a set and included unique and bizarre imagery, a high emphasis on costume and set design, a choir segment, and activism for environmentalism
Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks ...
. In addition, the Michael Bay film ''6 Underground'' premiered at the Shed on December 10, 2019.
The Shed ceased all public programs on March 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. The Shed reopened its galleries on October 16, 2020, with an exhibition by Howardena Pindell
Howardena Pindell (born April 14, 1943) is an American artist, curator, and educator. She is known as a painter and mixed media artist, her work explores texture, color, structures, and the process of making art; it is often political, addressing ...
. During the pandemic, emergency staircases were opened to allow visitors to comply with COVID-19 social distancing
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious dis ...
regulations by avoiding the elevators. During early 2021, the Shed announced it would resume live performances with a series featuring Kelsey Lu
Kelsey Elizabeth McJunkins (born May 12, 1989), known professionally as Kelsey Lu, is an American singer and cellist based in Los Angeles, California.
Early life
Kelsey Lu was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, and had a strict Jehovah's Witness ...
, the New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...
, Renée Fleming
Renée Lynn Fleming (born February 14, 1959) is an American soprano, known for performances in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Fleming has been nominated for ...
, and Michelle Wolf in April 2021.
Critical reception
The Shed's construction was initially opposed by local community leadership. Board members on Manhattan Community Board 4
The Manhattan Community Board 4 is a New York City community board in the borough of Manhattan encompassing the neighborhoods of Hell's Kitchen, Chelsea, and Hudson Yards, as well as parts of the Garment District, the Flower District, and the M ...
stated that the Shed "could lack class", that the word "culture" is too vague for the name of such an exhibition space, and that problems could arise when a space is closed off twice a year for two weeks (adding up to a month annually) for New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning 7–9 days when international fashion collections are shown to buyers, the press, and the general publ ...
. Community board members also state that when the retractable roof is closed, of open public space would be lost. Additionally, some expressed concerns that the large value of the Capital Grant allocation—US$50 million—was too much money to award to a building that did not yet exist. In recent years, local support has grown and several local officials now sit on The Shed's board of directors.
The Shed has drawn mixed public reviews, as well as high praise from numerous art institutions. In an editorial for the art website Artsy
Artsy, formally known as Art.sy Inc is a New York City based online art brokerage. Its main business is developing and hosting website for numerous galleries as well as selling art for them. It utilizes a search engine and database to draw conn ...
, one writer stated that although "the building's innovative architecture seems ready to withstand the weight of he Shed'sgrand ambitions", the construction of the Shed also had the unforeseen side effect of "making New York ever less accessible for those without financial means", considering the poor neighborhoods located close to Hudson Yards. ''The New York Times'' has hailed The Shed as "a project that could reshape and redefine the city's physical and cultural infrastructure" and "one of the most significant additions to New York City's cultural landscape in decades."
In August 2019, news of Shed board member Stephen Ross's plans to host a fundraiser for U.S. president Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
's 2020 reelection campaign led several artists to protest. Fashion label Rag & Bone
Rag & Bone is an American fashion label helmed by Marcus Wainwright, originally from Britain. The brand is sold in more than 700 shops around the world, as well as in Rag & Bone retail stores.
History
Rag & Bone was founded in 2002 by Nathan B ...
decided against hosting their fall 2019 New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning 7–9 days when international fashion collections are shown to buyers, the press, and the general publ ...
show there. AL Steiner and Zachary Drucker both removed their work from an exhibition at the Shed. In December 2019, Ross left his position on the Shed's board of directors.
See also
* 10 Hudson Yards
* 15 Hudson Yards
15 Hudson Yards (originally known as Tower D) is a residential skyscraper on Manhattan's West Side (Manhattan), West Side, completed in 2019. Located in Chelsea, Manhattan, Chelsea near Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, Hell's Kitchen Penn Station (New ...
* High Line
The High Line is a elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. The High Line's design is a collaboration between James Corner Field Opera ...
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shed, The
Art museums and galleries in New York City
Chelsea, Manhattan
Diller Scofidio + Renfro buildings
Hudson Yards, Manhattan
Museums in Manhattan
Culture of Manhattan
Eleventh Avenue (Manhattan)
Buildings developed by the Related Companies
2019 establishments in New York City
2010s in Manhattan
Event venues established in 2019