New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred Univ., McGee Art Pavilion, School of Art and Design

Alfred, New York

Firm

ikon.5 architects

Client

State University Construction Fund

Area

19,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$6,000,000

Completion Date

11/2011

The 19,000-square-foot addition to the School of Art and Design at the New York State College of Ceramics in Alfred, N.Y., is designed as a large ceramic vessel for holding art and light. It is set on a plaza between two existing campus buildings on the main pedestrian campus thoroughfare.

Its ceramic facade, made of unglazed terra cotta tubes, is a solar and rain screen. The unglazed terra cotta tubes that make up the screen are expressive of ceramic art objects being created inside and the heritage of western New York, which has been innovative in ceramic and glass technology since the 19^th century. The art pavilion houses a large, flexible student exhibition space and mezzanine, an immersive black box, expanded media and ceramic studios.

The expansion is designed to achieve LEED silver certification through control of daylighting in the galleries, TPO roofing, low-consumption water fixtures and high-efficiency heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, including radiant heating in the exposed concrete floors of the studios and exhibition space.