A few weeks ago we gave a little peek of something going up on the facade of the New New Museum rising on The Bowery. And now almost the entire building is covered in what turns out to be a metallic mesh. Workmen on site at the New Museum claim that the facade all around is actually aluminum, which doesn't match up with what was promised here. From an interview with the architects at SANAA posted on the New Museum website:
SANAA: The exterior cladding will be galvanized zinc-plated steel, a material that is extremely strong, yet light. The character of it is a bit rough, just like the Bowery. It's textural in appearance, yet actually smooth to the touch and it is reflective in a way that abstracts its surroundings and suggests a different way of seeing them.Doesn't look too smooth to us. Was it budget cuts or that old bugaboo "artistic differences" which lead to the mesh-y-ness? Anybody in the know, please drop us a line.
The New Museum looking west towards Prince Street.
When the afternoon sun hits the west-facing facade it seems like spotlights have been turned on full. Good thing that Prince Street runs one-way in the opposite direction.
Close-up view of the newly-installed facade.
The crew puts up another mesh-y panel above The Bowery.
The bright and shiny New Museum seen from a block north up The Bowery.
A sneak peek of the glass-enclosed street level lobby of SANAA's New Museum.
· CurbedWire: NewMuseum Opening in November [Curbed]
· A Conversation with Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa [newmuseum.org]
· New Museum website [newmuseum.org]