Museum of Arts & Design, New York

Year:	2007
Location:	New York
Architect:	Allied Works Architecture
Designer:	Brad Cloepfil
Client:	MoAD
Project type:	architecture
Product:	façade sheeting, iridescent white, the unglazed basic material supplied by NBK Germany

In 2002 the Museum of Arts and Design in New York commissioned Allied Works Architecture/Brad Cloepfil to draw up a design for the conversion of the Gallery of Modern Art, which had been designed by the architect Edward Durrel Stone in 1964. The new home for the museum is one of the few buildings in Manhattan that is entirely detached, and this became a major motif in the design decisions. When it became clear that the façade cladding had to be replaced, Brad Cloepfil was convinced that ceramic cladding would fit better conceptually with the building’s new use than stone. The firm was put in touch with us through Christine Jetten, who was involved in the project as an advisor on ceramics.

From a distance, the image of the sand-coloured iridescent façade that has been developed is reminiscent of Stone’s original building, but close up and depending on the light it changes colour. After an intensive and extended sampling process in which several experiments were carried out regarding glaze, firing temperature and firing process, Koninklijke Tichelaar developed a complex glaze with a distinctive character. To the great satisfaction of both the architect Brad Cloepfil and the museum management, our company succeeded in fulfilling the brief to develop a façade that changes appearance under contrasting conditions and stands out as a clear, luminous iridescent surface.