In the News April 14, 2021 By Linda G. Miller
Skolnick Restores Arts Nonprofit The Church Arts nonprofit The Church recently underwent a comprehensive restoration by Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership. Located in Sag Harbor on Long Island, the original 1836 church, shuttered since 2008, was adaptively reused as the home of the nonprofit arts center founded by the artists Eric Fischl and April Gornik. Developed in collaboration with Fischl and Gornik, the 12,000-square-foot, threestory building was reimagined into a light-filled center for artists-in-residence with on-site accommodations, flexible making spaces, exhibition galleries, a resource library, and a public garden that can host a range of events. Demolition from prior restoration attempts revealed rustic wood framing throughout, which complements the contemporary interventions. At the ground floor, the space has been completely opened up to create flexible spaces surrounded by 22-inch-thick stone masonry walls. The main floor, accessed through the restored east façade entry portal and foyer, which retains much of the processional sequence from its time as a sanctuary, leads to the double-height space of the main exhibition hall. The mezzanine level is expressed as a floating element between the main floor and the soaring roof trusses above. A glass elevator and wood stairways connect the levels. Portraits of notable East End artists painted Fischl have been transferred to translucent film and mounted within the windows, serving as a modern interpretation of traditional stained-glass windows. The Church will offer tours starting on April 15, 2021. Wid Chapman’s Dhamaka Restaurant Opens at Essex Market Dhamaka, a 1,300-square-foot restaurant designed by Wid Chapman Architects, has opened at Essex Market, with indoor seating for 52 patrons plus an additional 30 outdoor seats. In Hindi, dhamaka means “boom” or “explosion,” an idea expressed both in the restaurant’s design and in its cuisine. Many of the restaurant’s design elements, including the wall panels, metal frames, and light fixtures, were conceptually designed by the architect, but were then fine-tuned and realized by artist Christopher Winter. The wall panels serve as a “shattered” canvas, with shards of objects and backlighting making the forms appear to float from the wall. The handmade screens at the kitchen and bathrooms and the sculptural pendant lights are made of rusted steel, placed in a random triangular geometry. The bar area features a bottle-storing “chandelier,” converted from what looks like an old truck wheel or oil barrel. The bottles and back bar mural are painted with Indian icons, motifs, and Hindi phrases by artist Sean Maze. The bar back, located on top of the painted mural, has a bottlesupporting, linear wood grill structure that also appears to float off the wall with discreet backlighting. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow passersby on Delancey Street to glimpse a slice of India on the Lower East Side.