Foster design to rise on the Lower East Side

on Friday,January 23,2009 21:01

A New York gallery has announced plans to start the construction of its new impressive offices designed by a famous architect.

The Sperone Westwater Gallery will move to a new building designed by British architect Norman Foster which will be erected at 257 Bowery Street, according to inhabitat.com.

The eight-story building will feature a 12 x 20-foot moving hall that will connect five floors filled with artwork. The gallery envisions this "moving exhibit" as a new standard in experiencing art and a novel approach to vertical movement within a gallery building.

The structure also incorporates a sculpture terrace and a private viewing gallery above the public floors, and is set to double the exhibition space.

"The concept for Sperone Westwater Gallery is both a response to the Bowery’s dynamic urban character and a desire to rethink the way in which we engage with art in the setting of a gallery," says Foster.

In a sign of times, the building will include an array of eco-friendly solutions, from glass walls - intended to bring in maximum daylight - and two layers of facade which will insulate the building from extreme temperatures, to channels allowing a natural flow of air.

The relocation is set to take place in December 2009.

Foster + Partners teamed up with architects from Adamson Associates to execute this project.