This monolithic form is a proposed extension to the Tang Museum at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. The project began with a precedent study of the geometric sculptures of Tony Smith, and the eventual creation of a new sculpture based on the methods used in the precedent. To contrast the smooth, man-made sculpture, a geological fragment of galena was chosen. Also known as lead glance, this crystal fragment has a cubic formation. The two conflicting precedents were then merged together, via both erosion and aggregation, in order to develop the final form of the building.
Just like its sister museum, this extension relies on the German concept of the Schaulager, a unification of display and storage wherein even the art which is not actively part of an ongoing exhibition is visible to occupants, rather than being tucked away in an unseen warehouse. The main galleries are located in a central core of intersecting rectangular forms, pushed inward from the outer shell of the structure. The basement level consists of ancillary facilities such as classrooms and studios for artists and members of the Skidmore campus.
AERIAL VIEW
SITE RENDER
INTERIOR VIEW OF GALLERY CORE
VIEW FROM TANG MUSEUM