unititled high rise. integrating donald judd’s neo-expressionistic art into a modern nyc high rise design

carnegie mellon school of architecture | fall 2018

this studio focused on the works and writings of donald judd. the studio took a trip to new york city and marfa, texas, where judd’s two main galleries are located, to further our understanding of his work. upon returning we studied his writings, partaking in studio discussions about his ideologies of objects in space, which he believed could change the experience of people’s surroundings. i was inspired by his signature use of repetition and multiplication in his work, rendering his objects as democratic and inviting. i also found his idea fascinating of how a line can be viewed as an edge with just a change in perspective, making me reconsider the power of simple geometries in design.

my design concept celebrates linear geometries and how elements within a space can interact with each other at various scales. i was largely inspired specifically by judd’s work, untitled (stack) - i was intrigued not only by its precide block dimensions, but also by the space between them and the spatial tension within the entire vertical composition. i integrated this idea by creating gaps between every other floor of the residential tower. this allows for wind to pass through the building, alleviates structural stress, and creates open roof terraces above each residential unit. pedestrians on the street can observe the high rise from various oblique angles, seeing the gaps between the floor plates change as they approach or depart away from the building.

i designated the cores to the edges of the site and the circulation to the back so to mirror the judd foundation across spring street, as well as to create an open floor plan. each entry point from the back stair onto a floor level then feels like a destination or point of arrival. this mirrors the composition of the judd foundation, in which each of the similar open floors are distinguished by the artwork and objects within them. similarly, my arrival points depict various types of gallery spaces and a changing façade.

with the integration of a colored, finned louver system that attaches to the glass façade, i create different types of spaces and play with the natural sunlight entering the building. this recalled the chinati foundation in marfa, texas, where judd varied the natural lighting and reflections with his ‘100 untitled works’ in mill aluminum. the fins also mark a destination for a private entry point from the elevator into the residences in the upper residential tower portion of the building.