{"id":50279,"date":"2019-04-01T08:45:19","date_gmt":"2019-04-01T12:45:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/?p=50279"},"modified":"2019-04-03T09:48:02","modified_gmt":"2019-04-03T13:48:02","slug":"perkins-eastman-tenement-museum-renovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.arc.ht\/blog\/inspiration\/stories\/perkins-eastman-tenement-museum-renovation\/","title":{"rendered":"Perkins Eastman\u2019s Tenement Museum Renovation Transcends Adaptive Reuse"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this year, AIA New York \u2014 the oldest and largest cohort of the 90,000-member-strong organization \u2014 announced its annual Design Awards<\/a> program recognizing outstanding design by AIA New York members, New York City-based architects and projects within New York City.<\/span><\/p>\n

Claiming one of ten prestigious Merit Awards for Architecture was the Tenement Museum Renovation by Perkins Eastman<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Located in the heart of NYC\u2019s Lower East Side, the project\u2019s completion marks the culmination of a decade-long strategic master plan to increase the Museum\u2019s prominence within the city and realizes its mission of becoming a unique community and civic resource.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo by Sarah Mechling, courtesy Perkins Eastman<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Perkins Eastman collaborated alongside museum leadership, curators and exhibition designers, all of whom worked tirelessly to preserve as much of the extant building fabric and interior architectural backdrop as possible, while still allowing the building to serve as a fully functional museum space. Perkins Eastman\u2019s Principal-in-Charge Nick Leahy described the undertaking as a unique restoration project, as \u201ceven specks of dust\u201d held historical significance.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, common structural features such as air shafts \u2014 the \u201clungs\u201d of the tenements, which back then echoed with Yiddish, German, Spanish, Italian, Irish and English voices throughout the tenements \u2014 take on new roles. They serve as connections between the three tenements stitched together and are left raw and unfinished. Similarly, original stairwells were preserved and relocated \u2014 to accommodate the program spread across the three buildings \u2014 and showcase uneven, crumbling layers of plaster, mortar, brick, and paint; a time capsule revealed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photos by Elliott Kaufman, courtesy Perkins Eastman<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Leahy uses the term \u201cforensic architecture\u201d to describe how the ordinariness of the replicated\/restored settings accurately communicates the daily experiences of the families.<\/span><\/p>\n

The term eloquently relates the way the project\u2019s methodology transcends traditional notions of adaptive reuse \u2014 asserting the design team\u2019s role to reveal, not repurpose \u2014 and allowing the building itself to tell the story and commemorate the history of urban, working-class immigrants. <\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most exciting components of the renovation project is the creation of a new exhibit, \u201cUnder One Roof,\u201d which occupies the third floor of 103 Orchard Street. It recreates spaces from the apartments of three families \u2014 the Epsteins from the 1950s, the Saezes from the\u00a0<\/span>1960s, and the Wongs from the 1970s \u2014 who called 103 Orchard Street home. Through the\u00a0<\/span>stories of these three families, this exhibit offers a glimpse of the cultures that defined the\u00a0<\/span>neighborhood then and contribute to its place in history today.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBy bringing visitors into people\u2019s recreated home, the Tenement Museum is able to tell the unique stories of American immigrants, migrants and refugees in a deeply personal and intimate way,” said\u00a0Jas Chana, Media & Communications Manager at the Tenement Museum. “With the help of Perkins Eastman, we\u2019ve been able to ensure that countless people have been able to understand and learn about the contributions of immigrants, past and present, to this country in a truly immersive manner.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo by Sarah Mechling, courtesy Perkins Eastman<\/p><\/div>\n

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Photo by Sarah Mechling, courtesy Perkins Eastman<\/p><\/div>\n

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Photo by Paul Rivera, courtesy Perkins Eastman<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Upon completion of the master plan, Perkins Eastman executed all phases of the plan, which includes (most recent listed first):<\/span><\/p>\n