The Bronx River Art Center, which occupies a four-story former warehouse bordering the newly reclaimed Bronx River Greenway, provides classroom and studio space for children and adults. In concert with the Department of Cultural Affairs, the center selected Sage and Coombe to redesign its facility as part of the Design Excellence Initiative of the New York City Department of Design and Construction.
The center has a clear mission: to foster arts education within a framework of environmental stewardship and local community. In addition to being brought into full compliance with current standards for safety, egress, and accessibility, the project is on track to acquire LEED Silver certification and has been the recipient of several New York State Energy Research and Development Authority grants for energy initiatives.
The design includes flexible, day-lighted classroom studios, a media lab, a pottery studio, and several multi-purpose classrooms, as well as rental studios and tenant offices that provide the institution with income. Staff offices were placed near the open classrooms for supervision and to create a sense of community. A public event space on the ground floor opens onto the garden and the Bronx River while a public gallery faces Tremont Avenue, providing the center with a strong visual presence in the neighborhood it serves. To take advantage of the center’s visibility from both Tremont Avenue and the Greenway, as well as from the elevated subway that circumnavigates the site, the building will be wrapped with a super graphic that publicizes the Art Center and its mission.
- Client
- Bronx River Art Center, NYC Department of Design and Construction, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
- Size
- 18,000 sq. ft.
- Date
- 2014
- Location
- Bronx, NY
Awards and Honors
AIA Merit Award for Unbuilt Design, 2011
Design Award, Public Design Commission, 2010
Building of the Day, Archtober 2018
AIA New York State Excelsior Award, 2019
Photos courtesy of
Alexa Hoyer
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