Swiss architecture studio Herzog & de Meuron has completed the restoration and conversion of a power plant on a decontaminated industrial site along the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn.
After an extensive decontamination project launched by the state government, Herzog & de Meuron was charged with converting the remains of a 115-year-old power plant into an art manufacturing hub, now called Powerhouse Arts.
Herzog & de Meuron refurbished a power plant in Brooklyn
The studio took the shell of the one remaining structure on the site and converted it into a six-storey art production centre, keeping details from the original structure in order to respect the history of the site and its industrial landscape.
The power plant, which served the transit system, was decommissioned in the 1950s and later became a spot used by local graffiti artists. It includes one restored structure and one rebuilt one
In 2010, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched an initiative to clean up the contaminated industrial site.
The project included the renovation of a brick-clad building called Turbine Hall and the reconstruction of the demolished Boiler House.
The restored structure features refurbished industrial elements
Herzog & de Meuron refurbished Turbine Hall and rebuilt Boiler House on the historic foundations.
The Turbine Hall facade kept its masonry and arched windows, typical of industrial buildings of the early 20th century, while Boiler House was given a...