cultivate

cultivate art gallery bienenstock competition fall 2022. 6 weeks. 5,000 sf buffalo, new york

Cultivation can be defined as growing or improving the growth of something. Often used in an agricultural context, land is tended to in order to cultivate crops. This gallery acts as a center for the cultivation of local art, artists, and the community, with an aim to foster artists’ growth and success, and enrich the community’s appreciation for local art. In the way that land is tended to for different crops, the gallery partitions are transformed to support different mediums of art. The walls of the gallery are flexible in three dimensions to cradle each piece of art while informing an organic path of travel through the exhibits. Taking inspiration from a rolling landscape, the walls are able to wrap around and highlight the individuality of different art pieces.

Flexible Wall Systems

The central walls in the gallery, informed by the elipse parti diagram, are able to flex and move in three dimensions. The structure of the wall is a lightweight, recycled aluminum frame with flexible joints, forming a grid pattern. This frame is padded and wrapped with a lightweight, stretchy material to make it look seamless and serve as a backdrop for sculpture art.

The tops and bottoms of the walls are connected to tracks on the floor and ceiling. The walls can be moved and shaped to create indents that cradle different pieces of art as they enter and exit the gallery, reinforcing the idea of cultivating and supporting individual pieces of art.

A. HIGHTOWER - ALO BARSTOOL

B. STEELCASE - WEST ELM SIDE CHAIR

C. STEELCASE - SERIES 2

D. STEELCASE - WEST ELM PRIVATE DESK

GILASI - TERRAZZO ICE

TURF - 9MM PET FELT BARLEY

DALTILE COLOR WAVE MIDNIGHT BLACK

PIONEER MILLWORKS RECLAIMED WHITE OAK

KNOLL COZY CORD MUSK

PIONEER MILLWORKS RECLAIMED OAK

The third floor residence is home to a couple who are the owners of the art gallery. The open layout allows for maximum entertainment area within the small footprint. The kitchen, dining, and living areas are adjacent and connect to the exterior patio. The office space converts to a spare guest room with a pullout couch, while the primary suite has a queen sized bed and private bathroom. The color palatte remains neutral to connect to the gallery, with a few added warmer hues and softer textures to make the space feel more residential.