Three red brickwork volumes form this cultural centre in New York, which Brooklyn-based studio nArchitects designed to commemorate the state's fight for social equality.
The New York Equal Rights Heritage Center is located in Auburn ? a city in Cayuga County, New York.

It features exhibitions dedicated to key events in the state's history of women's rights, civil rights, the abolition of slavery, as well as the recent progress of the local LGBTQQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queen) community.

nArchitects' design for the 7,500-square-foot (697-square-metre) building comprises three, one-storey volumes. Two of these house the exhibition spaces and a gift shop, while the third serves administrative purposes.

The studio chose the red brickwork exterior to match the materiality of nearby buildings in Auburn. "Drawing from its historic context, the one-storey building's form pays particular attention to proportion, with large glazing shaped to echo adjacent roof lines and fine brickwork detailing," said nArchitects.

The varying orientations of the volumes are arranged to offers views of surrounding landmarks in the city. Inside, large windows capture vistas of Westminster Church, the historic town hall, and Seward House Museum ? another historical site in Auburn.

"In this way the immediate context is integrated with the exhibition content," said the firm. The interstitial spaces between these volumes also creates small courtyards tha...