DESIGN PROFILE ARTYARD CENTER
Edward Robinson Architecture & William Welch Architecture PHOTO: PAUL WARCHOL XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX PHOTO: ERIC FIORITO
30 WINTER 2022 | context | AIA Philadelphia
PHOTO: STUART WATSON
ArtYard is an interdisciplinary alternative contemporary art center comprised of an exhibition space, theater, and residency program, dedicated to presenting transformative artwork, fostering unexpected collaborations, and incubating original new work. Opened in 2021, ArtYard Center honors Frenchtown’s industrial past and the organization’s mission to bring provocative art, performance, and creative mischief to a small town at the Delaware River’s edge. At its core is a state-of-the-art theater, wrapped in a gallery, and the building’s layered entrance creates a secondary outdoor stage that overlooks the Delaware River and a generous architectural “yard.” The sturdy exterior shell responds to the forces of the river and reflects the scale, craft, and forms of the early industrial buildings that were once on this site and throughout the Delaware Valley. The interior is distinctly modern, defined by threshold moments, exposed structural materials, isolated steel walls, embedded artifacts, and large open spaces for art. The architectural journey from the entrance, past the ticket booth, and up grand stairs visually reconnects one to the town and takes visitors through the galleries and past the brass bar into the theater lobby and vestibule. Finally, the impressive view of the theater space opens from above to reveal a dramatic auditorium below. Stadium seating allows for clear views to the edge of the stage, which is optimized for dance and theatre. A full catwalk system, 39-line sets with pinrail spotlines allows the theater to take on a variety of shows and performances. A reclaimed plastic bottle chandelier by the artist Willie Cole is suspended from the ceiling. The winding aisle path to one’s chair heightens the anticipation of the act to come. n
