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Sanjay Gangal
Sanjay Gangal is the President of IBSystems, the parent company of AECCafe.com, MCADCafe, EDACafe.Com, GISCafe.Com, and ShareCG.Com. New York State Equal Rights Heritage Center in Auburn by nARCHITECTSMarch 26th, 2019 by Sanjay Gangal
Article source: nARCHITECTS The NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center, designed by Brooklynbased nARCHITECTS, was opened to the public in a ceremony on November 13th with State and City officials, and members of the Auburn community. Commissioned by the City of Auburn, NY and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, nARCHITECTS designed the new 7,500sf building and outdoor space, transforming a former municipal parking lot into the new civic and cultural heart of historic Auburn, NY, home of Harriet Tubman. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the building and a new statue of Harriet Tubman was attended by Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, Pauline Copes Johnson (Harriet Tubman’s great-great-grandniece), NY State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey, Auburn Mayor Michael Quill, and others.  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO
 Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO In the words of Governor Cuomo, “The Equal Rights Heritage Center in Auburn honors the efforts and sacrifices made by the many in the fight for justice and equality.” Unlike a museum setting, the building and exhibition is conceived as a portal to the many tourist attractions throughout the state that are connected with the struggled for equal rights. From the NY Syaye Parks press release: “The 7,500-square foot facility includes exhibition and community spaces, interactive maps and videos that will educate and highlight the role the State and New Yorkers have played in the struggle for women’s rights, abolition, civil rights and the more recent efforts for LGBTQ rights. Visitors will be offered an intimate look at equal rights heroines and heroes who have rallied, sung, and spoke eloquently in their efforts to broaden the definition of human rights in ways that have impacted the entire nation.”  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO The Building and Exhibition Design The building designed by nARCHITECTS is designed to frame views of important historical landmarks, including the adjacent Seward House Museum – home of Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of State and New York State’s 12th Governor – as well as Memorial City Hall and Westminster Church. In this way the immediate context is integrated with the exhibition content. Along with collaborators MTWTF, nARCHITECTS also co-designed the permanent exhibition, integrating interactive displays that bring to life the struggle for equal rights through songs, speeches, games, portraits, political posters, animated maps and video timelines. One of these elements – the Social Justice Table – brings people together around a circular video display highlighting legislative milestones. The building also includes a Taste NY store, public restrooms, and offices for the Auburn Historic & Cultural Sites Commission and local Business Improvement District.  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO Balancing its identity as a new addition to Auburn at the edge of the historic district and downtown, the design of the new Heritage Center building seeks to create meaningful connections between past and present with a sensitive contemporary design. 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. Angled brick volumes rotate and intersect creating framed views that celebrate the surrounding landscape and significant historic landmarks. Visitors to the center will enjoy the permanent exhibition while connecting to the physical out at the historic Auburn surrounding them.  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO A New Public Space Landscaping surrounding the building was designed with an aim to provide a significant new public green space for downtown Auburn. A new oval shaped public square on the building’ east side across from City Hall provides a flexible outdoor space for cultural events in a setting of native plantings, pavers, urban furniture and site lighting. The new statue of Harriett Tubman by sculptor Brian Hanlon anchors its southern edge, with Harriet facing north. A grassy lawn on the building’s west side, across from Westminster Church, provides a passive recreation space. The design team also reorganized adjacent streets, narrowing the Loop Road to two lanes and expanding pedestrian space, thereby offsetting some of the remnants of Urban Renewal planning from the 19070s. Construction began in February 2018, and was completed in November 2018, on schedule and budget.  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © James Ewing OTTO  Image Courtesy © Brett Breyer  Image Courtesy © Brett Breyer  Image Courtesy © nARCHITECTS
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Categories: Cultural Center, Exhibition Center, Museum, public spaces |
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