One Minute World Arts- The Shed: An Innovative and Accommodating Cultural Center in New York
The Shed, the multi-functional cultural center eagerly anticipated by the citizens of NYC, officially opened in April 2019. Adjacent to the northern leg of the High Line elevated park, it was designed and constructed through the collaboration of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, an American interdisciplinary design studio, and Rockwell Group, featuring the McCourt, a large open space created by a huge outer shell that slides out from over the base building. Inside the building, there are two levels of gallery and exhibition rooms, the Kenneth C. Griffin Theater that can be used for diverse purposes, and The Tisch Skylights, the top-floor event space. In addition, there are a bar and a shop at the lobby, alongside the ticketing area, that serve the visitors’ needs.
The Shed carries the mission of presenting original art works across all disciplines for all audiences. It is quite a challenge to run such an unconventional and ambitious cultural center. During the pandemic, The Shed once adopted a more flexible set of strategy, canceling programs originally planned, and replacing them with visual art exhibitions, filmed renditions of plays, and online digital works. In 2021, while the art business was busy finding back its rhythm under the COVID-infected circumstances, The Shed managed to become the third arts center in NYC to reopen for indoor programs. With advantages brought forward by its unique architectural style and most updated HVAC system, The Shed was selected to house the New York Philharmonic’s first indoor concert last year, after the music group went quiet for more than 400 days because of the pandemic. The audience was delighted and grateful to be able to return to a live concert at such an innovative and accommodating space.
新空間，新氣象：紐約嶄新的多功能藝文中心The Shed
2019年4月，紐約市民引頸期盼的全新藝文中心The Shed（「棚屋」），正式落成啟用。The Shed坐落於紐約知名景點「高架公園」的北端，由跨域設計公司Diller Scofidio + Renfro與洛克威爾集團（Rockwell Group）聯手建造的；其最顯著的特色，乃是包覆建築本體的可移動式大型外殼，以及從中擴展出來的寬闊場地McCourt。至於建築本體的各個樓層，則含括了兩層畫廊與展示廳、多功能的葛里芬劇場，以及適合舉辦各類型活動的頂樓開敞空間（The Tisch Skylights）；而一樓大廳除了提供售票服務之外，也設有酒吧及商店來滿足訪客消費需求。
The Shed的成立宗旨，主要是為了呈現創新的跨域作品及藝文活動；而要經營一座如此非典型，且又極富野心的新型場館，絕非易事。疫情期間，The Shed取消了原本排定的節目，改而策劃視覺藝術展覽、放映錄製版的舞台劇，並推出線上數位作品。2021年，當藝文界忙著想方設法，試圖與疫情共存時，The Shed憑藉著建築本身的優勢，成為紐約第3個重啟室內演出的場館。透過移動外殼所架構出來的空間，輔以新穎的空調循環系統，The Shed為足足有400天未曾舉行實體演出的紐約愛樂交響樂團（New York Philharmonic），提供一方雖然不夠完美，但卻相對安全的場地，讓團員們能夠大展身手，帶給觀眾重返現場、接受音樂洗禮的感動。
Photo Credit ©The Shed, Iwan Baan, Mark Wickens, Sara Krulwich
Sources:
https://www.theplan.it/eng/architecture/the-shed
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/04/arts/design/guide-the-shed-hudson-yards.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/15/arts/music/new-york-philharmonic-the-shed.html
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/apr/05/shed-new-york-inside-arts-complex-hudson-yards
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/arts/the-shed-nyc-indoor-performances.html