Hudson Yards multidisciplinary arts center sets opening date

Big things are happening at Hudson Yards this year: By the end of March, many of its public amenities—the shopping center, a bunch of restaurants, a public park, and Thomas Heatherwick’s Vessel—will debut, bringing the long under-construction parcel of land on the west side to life.

And now, the megaproject’s cultural center, the Shed, is getting ready for its close-up; the venue announced today that it will open on April 5. The Shed’s High Line-straddling home, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with the Rockwell Group, has also been named the Bloomberg Building, in recognition of former mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “extraordinary leadership in nurturing the project” (his $75 million contribution to the institution can’t have hurt).

The six-story performance and exhibition space will debut with several notable commissions, including Soundtrack of America, “a concert series celebrating the unrivaled impact of African American music on contemporary culture,” and new work by artist Trisha Donnelly. Björk and Sorry to Bother You director Boots Riley are on the lineup down the road.

Construction on the Shed, and its unique structure—which has a retractable outer shell that expands to transform the space, and accommodate different types of performances—began several years ago, and the finishing touches are being added now.