6a transforms New York’s Center for the Arts, Research and Alliances (CARA) by providing a range of flexible, light-filled spaces for community programming, research and exhibitions. Francesca Perri is visiting. Photos by Michael Warenwald, Mike Vitelli, 6a
On a historic and attractive street in Manhattan’s West Village that resembles a movie set, 6a architects have completed their first US project to date, the Center for Arts, Research and Alliance (CARA). The practice has taken a brick and concrete warehouse built in 1909 and originally used to store playing cards and turned it into a new non-profit arts center, research institute and publisher’s home. In typical 6a style, original architectural details were respected, excess interior trim was removed, and spaces were designed to be open and flexible. “The building has its own personality, but at the same time it is porous,” says CARA chief executive Manuela Moscoso, who believes the building helps shape the organization itself.
For 6a, founding director Tom Emerson said the decision to continue with the project was “a no-brainer”. “We’ve loved New York for a long time. When it came out, we were so excited because we could start working on it – social, urban, architectural – we’ve always loved to see and experience, but never had the opportunity to really interact on an architectural level.
The history of CARA began in 2015, when founder Jane Height (a former gallery owner) thought about what kind of cultural organization New York might need. The seeds are sown that spaces of justice and equality can be built with art, and buildings follow. Although Chait was looking for a more family-friendly place, she “accidentally” found a former warehouse. “His bones are incredible, very strong. He can do what we want. Moreover, the brick facade of the building blends seamlessly with the surrounding rows of townhouses,” she said. It fits well with this more homely architecture, Haight was after: “It’s intimate, warm and approachable, yet very flexible at the same time,” she says.
Haight approached 6a after long admiring the work they are doing in London art spaces such as Raven Row and the Sadie Coles headquarters. Talks began in late 2016, design work began in early 2017, and construction began in December 2019, apparently derailed by the global pandemic. “It’s built on FaceTime,” Hite said with a laugh. After a series of soft launch events this summer, the center officially opened to the public in October.
At the entrance to the building, the main intervention on facade 6a is the replacement of wooden doors and garage shutters with two large windows, thin metal lattice frames and built-in doors. These glazed openings welcome daylight and visitors into the first space, an open bookstore outfitted with playful and colorful elements designed by Studio Manuel Raeder and Rodolfo Samperio.
In addition, visitors can also walk through the center of the building to the exhibition space at the back. It is worth noting that this core had to be completely replaced in order to meet the strict specification. The front staircase, originally cast iron but too narrow for fire protection, was completely replaced with a new cast concrete staircase, load-bearing walls replaced with CMU blocks (concrete blocks) and floors replaced with freshly poured concrete. The grand elevator has been moved and another fire escape has been added. Even though this is a brand new part of the building, the rough and industrial feel is in keeping with the building’s past.
As you enter the exhibition space from behind, a spectacular window wall echoes the entrance, offering views of the well-proportioned excavated garden and adjoining courtyard beyond. Originally four vertical windows on this rear wall, 6a replaced them with this wide opening, allowing light to enter and blend into the surrounding urban fabric. “We really wanted the whole building — the gallery and other spaces — to feel connected to the city,” Emerson explained. This is in keeping with Hayt’s intention to avoid creating a “white cubic box” blocking out the outside world.
In this ground floor exhibition space, 6a removed a floor added at the end of the 20th century – the building has gone through various iterations as offices and studios – to reveal the original, durable but noticeably worn concrete floor below. The paint covering the concrete ceiling has also been peeled off, allowing the material to speak for itself.
Climbing up the new stairs, you can go down to the basement – living quarters, storage areas and shared bathrooms – or go upstairs to further gallery spaces and private offices. In this stairwell, 6a added an overhead skylight to flood the entire space with natural light. “We really wanted to try to bring as much light into this space as possible,” Emerson said. This is complemented by two strategically placed windows in the side walls of the stairwell, allowing for sky and city views to maintain a sense of embracing the built environment.
The staircase is also distinguished by a glass partition rising from the center, repeating the pattern of a window wall with a thin metal mesh. “We did a lot of research on this thin metallic glass,” Emerson said. “At some point we thought it looks so light and elegant, why don’t we just raise the window to the middle of the stairs? It has something to do with the rest of the building and it’s also special and unique and unusual.
The basement floor, at the back of the office, has new windows that weren’t there before, achieved by digging the earth up to this level. The office then opens onto this elongated excavated space, which has been converted into a small garden with the help of Dan Pearson’s studio. Elsewhere in the basement, a public restroom can be found, and this is where the 6a’s dominating approach to stripping is balanced by playful inserts. The interiors of the two bathrooms are almost entirely clad in polished granite. “Manhattan’s backbone is granite,” Emerson said, adding that the original granite block located at the building’s entrance also served as a source of inspiration. In these granite-drenched bathrooms—a mouth-watering Pinterest board and Instagram post—pops of color (another 6a classic) are featured in bright red Vola faucets and details.
Another interesting addition to this underground level is the sculptural fountain designed by 6a, which itself resembles an art installation with a ring of pipes. “It’s part plumbing we designed, part code – in [US] public buildings you should have two fountains at different heights – and partly recycled ceramic pots that we found. The whole thing is a small sculptural collage,” Emerson said.
Returning to the front staircase, you reach the first floor, where the main gesture and heart of the building is located: a double-height gallery space. He strikes. Four large square windows and a skylight fill the space with natural light. 6a meticulously planned the space for maximum effect: a mezzanine balcony was added in the 1990s, but was removed in practice. Wooden window frames, which were added at the same time, were replaced with metal lattice frames in line with the glazing of the entire building.
At the rear of the first floor is a smaller one-story exhibition space that echoes the first floor. But here, for structural reasons, the original window on the back wall was filled in, and a new large square window opening was created in the side wall.
The top floor, which is not open to the public, is still undergoing renovations but will be devoted to offices filled with light from the original four windows on the back wall and a new large window on the side wall, as well as a kitchenette and bathroom.
Overall, 6a wanted the building to be flexible. “We’re really interested in a building that can be rewritten multiple times,” Emerson said. will be used in ways you can’t imagine. So we were very interested in a project where the space would be nice enough that people could transform it over and over again.
Back at the entrance of the building, the bookstore was full of people, a group of student groups came to visit, and there were many discussions. Obviously, CARA is an art space, yes, but first of all it is a space for one person. Its industrial aesthetic may take away a bit of coziness, but the beauty of 6a’s stripped-down, adaptable spaces is that, as Emerson points out, they can be transformed as needed to suit any purpose.
Back outside, you’ll discover just how subtle CARA’s urban vibe is. He does not announce himself loudly, but this is an organization – and a building, not a cry. He is focused on listening, being open and adapting, with one foot in history and the other firmly moving into the future.
Francesca Perri is a London-based editor and writer specializing in design, cities, architecture, sustainability and culture journalism.
The main sustainable measure of the project is the reuse and deep renovation of the existing building. After a detailed assessment of the building’s design, a significant reduction in carbon emissions was achieved, resulting in the preservation of the building’s structure, floors and facades. The introduction of new resources is minimized by reusing and updating existing features with minimal rework. The continuity of history and architectural culture is visible in the traces of old architecture throughout the building.
Upgrading the building structure with high-performance insulation (using recycled and organic materials where possible) and replacing windows limits long-term operational emissions by reducing heat loss and reducing stress on heating-cooling systems.
These services provide an indoor environment suitable for a New York gallery by combining ultra-efficient technology with passive environmental measures. In the former, air handling units with RTU heat recovery and energy-saving LED lighting reduce energy demand, while BMS management allows organizations to track and improve performance to meet their energy consumption goals. The strategy of hybrid mechanical and natural ventilation, combined with high thermal mass, means that the galleries can operate almost completely passively in seasonal ambient temperatures. The design maximizes natural light for a varied program of organization while retaining large window and skylight openings and introducing a new large gallery opening on the ground floor.
The back garden, designed by Studio Dan Pearson, includes mature trees and a varied planting pattern that improves ecology and biodiversity. The garden becomes a visual delight for gallery visitors and an open space for employees. Tom Emerson, director of 6a architects
When we started working with 6a Architects on what is now the Center for Arts, Research and Alliances (CARA), we were drawn to their light touch. We didn’t want to impose the appearance of the building, we wanted its history and materials to speak for themselves. We envisioned spaces that were slower, warmer, and more textured—an inviting space that cared not only for the artwork, but also for the people and their practices. As a non-profit organization, think tank, and arts publisher, we need flexible spaces for community programming, research, and exhibitions. It was also important to convey the history of the building, which was a former playing card warehouse with an industrial past; 6a did this by finding traces of the original walls and exposed planks, and by taking care not to cover structural elements unless they were functionally necessary.
In addition to the 6a climate ethic and the fact that the project itself is a historic reuse and therefore has little impact, we also worked with sustainability consultants Art to Zero to identify areas where the building could be more effective. Outer shell insulation, new roof insulation, window selection, thermal upgrades and heat recovery systems have all been taken into account with environmental considerations. CARA is in dialogue with its surroundings, and the building makes the most of daylight and views of the street and sky, which ultimately reflects the porosity of the fabric. It is a place to gather, learn and forget, whose mission is emphasized by the way the interior connects visitors to the outside world. CARA Founder Jane Height and Executive Director and Chief Curator Manuela Moscoso
The existing building was originally used as a factory and its substantial load bearing capacity provided an ideal opportunity to repurpose the space for a new flexible gallery. The aim of the project was to preserve and reveal as much of the original structure as possible, while still complying with regulations and extending the life of the building.
To facilitate the new circulation core, provide two exits and a new elevator, the central part of the building was demolished and rebuilt with reinforced concrete masonry and concrete slabs. The new building connects to existing concrete-wrapped steel beams and concrete floors that are completely exposed. Repairs are carried out only on the original structure where absolutely necessary to ensure the integrity and durability of the structure. A recently excavated backyard needed to support several neighboring properties is a piece of green space in this built-up area of ​​Manhattan.
As a multidisciplinary engineer, Arup worked closely with 6a Architects to coordinate building services that were always on display and reflected in the space. Fire suppression systems, piping, plumbing, and other items normally required by the code are exposed and marked, not hidden behind trim. New efficient building mechanical systems and upgrades to the existing structure ensure that the space remains comfortable in harsh New York winters and hot summers and is optimized for energy efficiency. Natural lighting is maximized throughout the building, complemented by an efficient and flexible gallery lighting system. Alex Reddiho, Senior Engineer, Arup, New York
New York building codes are especially strict for British or European architects. The combination of high-rise buildings and a relatively recent history of dense urbanization has resulted in extremely strict regulations.
A new elevator core and two staircases have been inserted into the center of the building to comply with New York’s fire codes and provide universal access for everyone. The process of removing the existing structure reveals the original structure and opens up alternative spatial proportions within the building. Stairs and cores celebrate the materiality and architectural culture of the city with a reduced palette of native New York materials; open utilities next to CMU (Concrete Mass New York) and historic buildings where the former Mark of steel structures can still be seen in the brickwork. Carefully organized through trade, open services describe the functioning of the building, while radiators, pipes, sprinklers and plumbing become elements of the space.
The fiberglass mesh rises to the height of the stairs and forms a parapet between adjacent stairs, echoing the mesh of the gallery’s existing mesh concrete floors, new windows, and the city itself. The curved, continuous railing and brackets were welded together on site and hand-painted in high-gloss white, a testament to the Brooklyn manufacturer’s craftsmanship. Cast concrete steps in waxed mild steel are reminiscent of the rugged curbs of city sidewalks and are polished in service.
The staircase is lit by windows on each floor and a large skylight above. Granite seating on the top floor provides the CARA team with a quiet place to enjoy views of city block gardens and New York’s rooftops. Tom Emerson, director, 6a architects
Start of construction: January 2020 Completion date: July 2021 Total floor area: 795 sq. Construction Cost: TBD Architect: 6a Architect Client: Arts, Research and Alliance Center Executive Architect: 20X Architect Structural Engineer: Arup Cost Consultant: Cost Plus Project Manager: Paratus Group Freight Forwarder: Agouti Construction Consulting Landscape Architect: Dan Pearson StudioBookstore Designers: Studio Manuel Reader and Rodolfo Samperio Visual Identification and Navigation: Rodina Wayfinding: David Reinfurth Acoustic Consultant: Arup Metalwork: HMH, New York Main Contractor: EurostructCAD Software Used: MicroStation, Rhino Annual CO2 Emissions: Not Specified (Building not yet fully completed)