State of the arts

Powerhouse Arts

Brooklyn, USA

Powerhouse Arts sees the transformation of a decommissioned power plant, which has stood for over a century, into a vibrant contemporary arts center and fabrication space on the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn.

The organization itself, Powerhouse Arts (PHA), is a not-for-profit committed to creative expression. Its new facility, opened in 2023, hosts an extended network of art and fabrication professionals and educators who work together to co-create and share artistic practices vital to the wellbeing of artists and the communities to which they belong.

The reimagined building incorporates a series of large event spaces designed to support the creative mission by housing performances and exhibitions

The project sees the adaptive reuse of a decommissioned power station, which has been transformed into a contemporary arts center and fabrication space.

The new Boiler House design reflects the original’s stacks with a pair of rooftop plant rooms, which accommodate MEP plant, exhaust fans and VRF units for heating and cooling.

We worked closely with the architects and structural engineers to enable the elegant and symmetrical incorporation of services into the structures.

Our MEP team designed the supply and extraction ventilation system.

Challenge

The 170,000ft² structure had stood empty and increasingly derelict for more than a generation. The six-story, red-brick building, erected in 1904, was once the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company’s central power station. Decommissioned in the 1950s, half of the original structure – the Boiler House – was demolished, leaving the Turbine Hall to stand by itself. By the early 1970s, the site was altogether abandoned. Left to crumble, the former power station became an infamous urban ruin – its roof gave way, nature began to reclaim its interior and by the 1990s, it had become home to squatters, underground ravers and graffiti artists.

The collective of artists that formed itself in this period nicknamed the building “the Batcave”. In a nod to its recent history, the transformational new arts center retains much of the striking, atmospheric graffiti artwork from its “Batcave” days.

A design team was formed with PBDW Architects as executive architects and Herzog & de Meuron leading the design. The latter firm, a Pritzker Prize winner, previously transformed London’s Bankside Power Station into the Tate Modern. Buro Happold was engaged to provide specialist building services (MEP) consultancy, as well as later providing advisory input across both Sustainability and Energy.

As with all adaptive reuse projects, one of the key challenges was designing a new MEP strategy and infrastructure within the confines of the existing structure. An aspiration to display the services openly, with exposed ventilation ducts across the high ceilings of some of the landmark spaces added an extra layer of complexity – ensuring the technical infrastructure works with the wider design aesthetic.

Solution

We worked closely with the architects and structural engineers throughout the design process to enable the elegant and symmetrical incorporation of these services into the structures. New ductwork was designed to fit seamlessly into the existing and new structures, with the MEP systems delivering a striking visual aesthetic to the completed building, as well as providing efficient and impactful heating and cooling.

The project reinterprets the historic Boiler House by reinstating its mass with a new structure on its footprint, re-establishing its relationship with the existing Turbine Hall. The Turbine Hall itself is preserved – stabilized and strategically repaired – and its historic layers are integrated into the new manufacturing facility.

By preserving, restoring, and reconstructing essential elements of the original power station, such as the masonry facade, the project strengthens the building’s industrial character and its relationship to the immediate urban context.

The new Boiler House design reflects the original’s stacks with a pair of rooftop plant rooms, which accommodate MEP plant, exhaust fans and VRF units for heating and cooling.

To enable adaptable spaces for art display and education, the lighting is all dimmable and adaptable, enabling the creation of the different lighting zones within the larger exhibition spaces. AV and stage lighting boxes were also installed at regular intervals into the ceiling framework in the larger spaces, to enable flexibility for different kinds of events.

Our Sustainability and Energy experts worked closely with our mechanical team to develop a series of sophisticated digital energy models and analyses to feed into an iterative design process, ensuring the operational efficiency and comfort of the finished complex. We also supported the client and wider design team on the submission of the plans for energy code review by the City.

In the fabrication spaces and workshops, our MEP designed the supply and extraction ventilation systems to allow small scale fabrication processes to take place safely and comfortably. This involved considered engagement with a broad range of stakeholders including the industrial hygienist, the specialist exhaust consultants, the architects and the Powerhouse team to ensure we fully understood how each workshop space would be used.

Value

Powerhouse Arts is a genuinely transformational project that is helping to reinvigorate the grassroots arts community in Brooklyn. The completed facility boasts fabrication facilities for ceramics, textiles, print and wood, as well as delivering inspirational spaces for education, events and public art.

Our team of MEP, Energy and Sustainability experts helped to realise this ambitious project, ensuring a stunning urban aesthetic as well as delivering a comfortable, safe and impactful community space.