Ikon 5 Architects

McGee Art Pavilion

MCGEE ART PAVILION

ikon.5 architects

McGee Art Pavilion
© Brad Feinknopf

ARCHITECTS
ikon.5 architects

PHOTOGRAPHS
Brad Feinknopf

MANUFACTURERS
Boston Valley Terra Cotta, Benjamin Moore, Daltile, Amico, LSI Industries, Tectum, Vistawall

AREA
19000.0 ft2

PROJECT YEAR
2011

LOCATION
Alfred, NY, United States

McGee Art Pavilion
© Brad Feinknopf

Text description provided by architect.

During the nineteenth century, Alfred New York was a major design and manufacturing region for architectural terra cotta, ceramic, and glass. Many industrial age terra cotta products used on buildings in New York and throughout the country were manufactured in Alfred. Recently, Ikon.5 architects completed the McGee Art Pavilion for Alfred University’s New York State College of Ceramics.

The McGee Art Pavilion is an expansion to the School of Art and Design at the New York State College of Ceramics. Designed as a large ceramic container for holding art and light, the pavilion is set on a plaza between two existing campus buildings on the main pedestrian road on the campus, creating a realization of the manufacturing history of Alfred.

McGee Art Pavilion
© Brad Feinknopf
McGee Art Pavilion
© Brad Feinknopf

Its ceramic façade, made of un-glazed terra cotta tubes, is a solar and rain screen. The tubes that make up the screen are suggestive of the ceramic vessels and art objects created inside the School of Art and Design.

Their un-glazed flushed white pigment is similar to the nature of student art work before final finishing. Furthermore, the staggered pattern of the façade is enthused by the racks of unfinished ceramic articles that envelop the art studios.

McGee Art Pavilion
© Brad Feinknopf
McGee Art Pavilion
© Brad Feinknopf

Cantilevering over a glass wall, the pavilion vividly engages campus on-lookers as a piece of ceramic art and allows them to see inside the exhibition gallery, consequently putting student work on public display.

The exhibition space is inherently flexible and large enough to display hefty contemporary art pieces. In addition, a mezzanine gallery overlooks the two story exhibition hall to give a bird’s eye perspective to the three dimensional works.

Additionally, the mezzanine connects to the immersive gallery, which is a black box space for the total immersive display of video and audio art forms. Finally, art studios, expanded media studios, art history classrooms, and support spaces are located below the exhibition hall.

McGee Art Pavilion
© Brad Feinknopf
McGee Art Pavilion
© Brad Feinknopf

The McGee Pavilion is designed to achieve a USGBC LEED Silver certification through control of day lighting in the galleries, TPO roofing, low consumption water fixtures, and high efficiency heating ventilation and air condition systems, including radiant heating in the exposed concrete floors of the studios and exhibition space.


McGee Art Pavilion
© Brad Feinknopf


McGee Art Pavilion
Sketch
McGee Art Pavilion
Sustainability Diagram


McGee Art Pavilion
Site Plan
McGee Art Pavilion
Plan


McGee Art Pavilion
Longitudinal Section
McGee Art Pavilion
Transverse Section

Ikon 5 Architects
T +1 212 9562530
Ikon 5 Architects
147 W 25th St 11th fl, New York, NY 10001, United States