Press Releases

The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) today announced the installation of a prototype for the agency’s first-ever outdoor art display case at TriBeCa’s Bogardus Plaza on Hudson Street between Chambers and Reade streets. The model, designed by Architecture Research Office (ARO), will be in place for one month to observe the design’s performance in an outdoor environment. Last fall, DOT issued a challenge to designers, asking them to reinvent the fixed display cases seen in museums and galleries as a moveable piece for outdoor use. ARO’s design was selected for implementation. The goal is to temporarily install display cases in pedestrian plazas and other areas within the public realm to create new opportunities for displaying art such as photos, paintings and collages.

“New York’s streets are places to see and be seen, and this sleek case creates new opportunities for viewing art,” said Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. “By expanding the palette for temporary art, we are making our streets more welcoming, vibrant places for everyone.”

“We envision the display panel as a visitor to the plaza, a temporary and flexible element that moves culture out into New York City’s pedestrian spaces,” said Adam Yarinsky, FAIA, principal-in-charge for Architecture Research Office.

DOT’s Urban Art Program transforms streetscapes from ordinary to extraordinary with temporary art in unexpected places: colorful murals on construction fences, dynamic light projections on the Manhattan Bridge’s colonnade or the Brooklyn Bridge’s anchorages, and thought-provoking sculptures in public plazas. The display case will be managed by the Urban Art Program, with additional cases expected to be fabricated and installed in fall 2012 for the launch of a new rotating exhibition program. DOT will partner with local institutions to curate these temporary exhibits citywide every three to six months. The prototype features images of Urban Art Program projects currently on display citywide. 

ARO, an award-winning architecture and urban design firm based in New York City, developed a display case that is compatible with the sleek, modern look and feel of the City’s existing street furniture, including bus shelters, newsstands and the new CityBench. Importantly, the case is designed and constructed to be sturdy and durable, and able to stand up to the elements. The month-long period will provide insights to any needed modifications. 

For more information, visit www.nyc.gov.

—30—