Weight of Light

When light has weight, space is formed. This project, located north of NYC in Hudson Valley, is dedicated to the Bard Prison Initiative. The program is simple: a 5000-square foot office space plus a 7000-square foot gallery space. Our proposal places the entire building underground and introduces a green, walkable platform on the rooftop. Several cast-acrylic “weights of light” are embedded into the building’s surfaces. Light reflects, refracts, and passes through the uneven surfaces of these lighting devices to create unique atmospheres and spaces for people to experience. People can go up, down, in, and around these artifacts. The natural daylighting provides an honest depiction of the lighting conditions outside, allowing these spaces dedicated to light to serve as educational tools for the institute.

The three levels are all related to light and their program. The ground floor garden minimizes the impact on the natural landscape in which the building is located; the B1 office has ample natural skylight for the workstations and coworking space, and the B2 gallery has the most dramatic light effects for various types of art to thrive.