As part of the Design Excellence initiative of the New York City Department of Design and Construction and in concert with the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Bronx River Art Center selected Sage and Coombe to redesign its facility.
The Center occupies a four-story former warehouse building bordering the newly reclaimed Bronx River Greenway. The Art Center has a clear mission: to foster arts education within a framework of environmental stewardship. Taking this as design inspiration, Sage and Coombe developed environmental and architectural strategies that work in tandem.
The Center, which provides classroom and studio space for adults and children, will be brought into compliance with current standards for life safety, egress and accessibility. In keeping with the environmental mission, the project has been registered with the USGBC with the goal of achieving LEED Silver certification.
The design includes flexible and day lighted classroom studios, a media lab, a pottery studio and several multi-purpose classrooms. Offices for the staff were placed in counterpoint to the open classrooms for supervision and to create a sense of community while rental studios and tenant offices provide the institution with income. On the ground floor a public event space opens onto the garden and the Bronx River. The public gallery faces Tremont Avenue, providing the Center with a strong and visible presence and link to the community it serves.
To take advantage of the project’s visibility from Tremont Avenue and the Greenway, as well as from the elevated subway that circumnavigates the site, the building will be wrapped with a super-graphic that announces the Art Center and its mission.
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