Site Investigation Report, pt 1.

Mihael Ruja

First Year Integrated Seminar 2

Constructed Environments

Bridge 2: Context and Investigation

Site Investigation Report

02/14/19

 

Site: Lenfest Center for the Arts (615 W. 129th St.)

Notes:

9:00 am – Arrived at site.

*Site, quietly, doing nothing*

9:45 am –

Lenfest Center for the Arts is an unavoidably modern edifice. Certain style elements might have been inspired by the Bauhaus movement e.g. its grid facade and its allusive gesture to an image of a Brutalist structure. In what I understand as an attempt to remain relevant, the building also supplements the conventional modern glass window form for a more reserved application. Windows are replaced with a subtle pastel tone gradience and cement is replaced with matte metal. In comparison to the adjacent buildings, the Lenfest Center is much smaller and hidden. The surrounding buildings were either more triangular or engulfed with glass windows. The building directly in front of Lenfest is predominantly concrete with its longest sides pointing to the ocean.

9:59 am –

The building is kinda boring. It has a very pragmatic and concise design, but I want it to be more alive. Its shape is nothing new.

10:10 am –

The courtyard of the space feels underutilized. During my visited, it was completely absent of people.  It can promote an assembly, but it’s also very removed or disproportionate. Something I do enjoy about this expansive courtyard is that it drags out into the reaches of the street and lines its parameter with benches. The benches extended the space of the building to give users the choice to be apart of the space or disassociate from it. At the same time the benches overlook the beautiful Hudson River but also peering at the spectacle of another construction project in the distance. I didn’t feel confined or controlled by the space because of this large courtyard.

10:15 am –

The interior of the building is as concise as possible. The building is austere in both its interiority and exteriority y There is no room for interpreting its function. Encased in a box shape, the user has either the option of talking to the security guard or walking through the security gates into the elevators. In its entirety the building is extremely simple. To balance the monochromatic nature of the outside of the building, the interior is deliberate with its use of a vibrant orange.

10:45 am –

I decided to stay a little longer to attend the final showing of the art exhibition “Posing Modernity.” I won’t speak about the gallery space or exhibition, but I will mention that most of the people who came to see the show were white older aged people. Taken that it was early in the morning on a Sunday, I was still surprised to see that, roughly, 90% of the people were in their 60’s or older. The interior function of waiting area was also not easily identifiable or facilitated. There were issues with people lining up in the wrong orientation and spatially there was nothing to guide the user.