Best Public-Use Project with Private Funding

Winner: Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Rockwell Group, US
The Shed, New York City, US

Image Credit: Iwan Baan

Judges’ Comments

‘Superb contemporary approach to cultural venues, where the transformation made available by new technologies is ingeniously incorporated to support the artists’ most ground-breaking ideas.’ Ben van Berkel

‘Really thought-out public spaces and beautiful facade panelling.’ Fernanda Marques

Nestled at the top of the Diller Scofidio + Renfro-designed High Line in New York now sits the DS+R-designed The Shed, a public arts building created with Rockwell Group.

The building has an extraordinary PTFE skinned frame which fits in against a huge residential tower (also designed by DS+R with Rockwell Group). This frame enfolds the main building beneath and can be deployed out along tracks into a public plaza, to double the size of the building. The bottom third of the deployed structure has guillotine windows which are raised for the move and can stay up to create a highly permeable space or can also be lowered to create a closed controlled environment for performances and concerts. The main non-movable building contains permanent gallery and performance spaces, with the back of house in the base of the residential tower.

DS+R conceived The Shed with architect David Rockwell. DS+R co-founder Liz Diller explains: ‘David and I have been together through this whole thing. The project was really done through the DS+R studio but David was always there as a kind of sounding board.’

The initial concept revolved around a matchbox idea and the seminal work of Fun Palace architect Cedric Price. The project took more than 10 years to come to fruition. A very personal project for Diller, she recalled the first time the structure was deployed in conversation with Blueprint editor Johnny Tucker: ‘The first movement was so incredibly magical. It was one of those moments I will always remember. A lot of hugging and tears.’

Highly Commended

Department of Architecture Co, Thailand
Little Shelter Hotel, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Commended

Haworth Tompkins, UK
Bristol Old Vic, Bristol, UK

Obermoser arch-omo, Austria
007 Elements, Sölden, Austria

Populous, UK
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK

Studio Link-Arc, USA
CRLand Archive Library, Shenzhen, China

Steven Holl Architects, US
Glassell School of Art, Houston, US

Finalists

aLL Design, UK
Neuron Pod, London, UK

Cullinan Studio, UK
RHS Garden Hyde Hall Hilltop Complex, Essex, UK

gad · line+ studio with Greenton Architecture Design, China
Teahouse in Jiuxing Village, Jiande, China

Guy Hollaway Architects, UK
Process Gallery, Maidstone, UK

Haworth Tompkins, UK
Battersea Arts Centre, London, UK

John Wardle Architects, Australia
Ian Potter Southbank Centre, Melbourne, Australia

Lu+Architects, China
Exhibition Halls of Rice Barns in Wuzhen, China

Piercy&Company Architects, UK
Drayton Green Church, London, UK

Studio Seilern Architects, UK
G W Annenberg Performing Arts Centre, Wellington College, Berkshire, UK