Last year, the Whitney Museum announced the opening of a new, six-floor, 185,000 square-foot building in downtown Manhattan. Located on Gansevoort Street between West Street and the High Line, the building will be designed by Renzo Piano, the Pritzer-Prize winning architect best known for constructing the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France. His strongly asymmetrical design responds to the industrial character of the loft buildings that surround the site and the majesty of the Hudson River visible from the top floors of the building.
Although the two projects are not related, there will be a clear dialogue between the Whitney building and the High Line. The plans of the museum include over 15,000 square feet of rooftop galleries that will interact and compliment the park along the High Line. A large outdoor plaza at the front of the building will create a public space at the entrance on Washington Street, inviting local residents, tourists, artists, students, educators and gallerists to gather together for public events.
The Whitney Museum will add a completely new dimension to the already blossoming Meatpacking district. We can’t wait for the construction to begin sometime in the next year.
