The home of the Brant Foundation’s new East Coast gallery is in the old Con Ed transformer station, built in 1920–21. When it closed in 1980, it was bought by artist Walter De Maria and served as his home and studio until 2013. After it was purchased by art collector Peter Brant, it has been restored and converted into a public exhibition space by Gluckman Tang Architects. Beautifully detailed white exhibition walls act as counterpoints to the newly cleaned brick walls and sand-blasted machinery, like a still-operative 2,000-pound black iron hoist. The top floor exhibition space has a magical skylight sitting under a water fountain, which sends dappled light into the space and serves as a relaxing rooftop public space with a spectacular view looking north over the East Village. The architects have turned the narrow open spaces on the west and north sides of the building into elegant and peaceful landscaped parks that act as a breathing space for this dense part of the city and allow natural light into the galleries.

The Brant Foundation Art Study Center
421 East 6th Street
New York, New York
212-777-2297
Architect: Gluckman Tang Architects