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Gallery & Painting Studio
Gallery & Painting Studio
Villanova, PA, United States
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View Original
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Gallery & Painting Studio
Villanova, PA, United States
A former electrical substation building, constructed in the
early 1900’s for the Philadelphia and Western Railroad, was used by the Owner’s
father in the 1950’s as a sculpture studio. Long abandoned, the Owner
discovered an extensive collection of plaster casts and molds from his father’s
work that remained in the building. This discovery inspired the Owner to
renovate the building as a studio/gallery for his wife, a modern painter, and
as a permanent home for his father’s work.
The Studio renovation posed two challenges: to facilitate through spatial
design a fluid dynamic between the painting studio, a rotating gallery for
modern art and a permanent collection of traditional sculptures, and to
preserve the industrial character of the great machine hall and its equipment
chambers below.
The design inserts a new loft structure into the expansive two-story volume,
creating a semi-private painting studio above a public gallery below. The loft,
made from steel and reclaimed wood, recalls the industrial heritage of the
building and adds warmth to the space. Gallery lighting throughout brightens
the formerly dark spaces and provides fixtures that can be changed, dimmed and
separately controlled for the specific needs of each exhibit.
A second gallery for the Owner’s permanent sculpture collection is housed in
the basement. Existing concrete walls are reconfigured to transform the space
from a series of isolated rooms into an open gallery. Rough concrete walls and
alcoves lined with new millwork panels form crypt-like displays for the smooth
plaster and bronze sculptures. Remnants of the building’s history including
exposed conduits, ceramic conductor heads and steel hangers are left in place
and add to the industrial character of the space.
Restoration of the neglected building is visible on both the exterior and
interior. Exterior work includes restoration of the brick facades and original
wood windows, and a new insulated membrane roof. Interior work includes
restoration of the buff and glazed brick walls, concrete floors, and rusting
steel structure. In the Basement, the concrete foundation walls are cleaned and
a new under slab drainage system is added to solve water problems that had
persisted throughout the building’s life.
Sustainable initiatives designed into the project include use of reclaimed wood
flooring and stair treads, radiant heated floors in the basement and loft,
geothermal wells that provide both heating and cooling in the main gallery, and
a white membrane roof to reflect the summer heat. Award for Design Excellence, AIA Pennsylvania; 2010Award for Design Excellence, AIA Philadelphia; 2010Grand Jury Award in Preservation Achievement, Preservation Alliance of Philadelphia; 2009
early 1900’s for the Philadelphia and Western Railroad, was used by the Owner’s
father in the 1950’s as a sculpture studio. Long abandoned, the Owner
discovered an extensive collection of plaster casts and molds from his father’s
work that remained in the building. This discovery inspired the Owner to
renovate the building as a studio/gallery for his wife, a modern painter, and
as a permanent home for his father’s work.
The Studio renovation posed two challenges: to facilitate through spatial
design a fluid dynamic between the painting studio, a rotating gallery for
modern art and a permanent collection of traditional sculptures, and to
preserve the industrial character of the great machine hall and its equipment
chambers below.
The design inserts a new loft structure into the expansive two-story volume,
creating a semi-private painting studio above a public gallery below. The loft,
made from steel and reclaimed wood, recalls the industrial heritage of the
building and adds warmth to the space. Gallery lighting throughout brightens
the formerly dark spaces and provides fixtures that can be changed, dimmed and
separately controlled for the specific needs of each exhibit.
A second gallery for the Owner’s permanent sculpture collection is housed in
the basement. Existing concrete walls are reconfigured to transform the space
from a series of isolated rooms into an open gallery. Rough concrete walls and
alcoves lined with new millwork panels form crypt-like displays for the smooth
plaster and bronze sculptures. Remnants of the building’s history including
exposed conduits, ceramic conductor heads and steel hangers are left in place
and add to the industrial character of the space.
Restoration of the neglected building is visible on both the exterior and
interior. Exterior work includes restoration of the brick facades and original
wood windows, and a new insulated membrane roof. Interior work includes
restoration of the buff and glazed brick walls, concrete floors, and rusting
steel structure. In the Basement, the concrete foundation walls are cleaned and
a new under slab drainage system is added to solve water problems that had
persisted throughout the building’s life.
Sustainable initiatives designed into the project include use of reclaimed wood
flooring and stair treads, radiant heated floors in the basement and loft,
geothermal wells that provide both heating and cooling in the main gallery, and
a white membrane roof to reflect the summer heat. Award for Design Excellence, AIA Pennsylvania; 2010Award for Design Excellence, AIA Philadelphia; 2010Grand Jury Award in Preservation Achievement, Preservation Alliance of Philadelphia; 2009
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