Related adding 15 art galleries around Zaha Hadid’s 520 West 28th Street
Related Companies is looking to expand on Chelsea‘s cultural character as a world-famous art district, as well as expand this “gallery corridor” north towards Hudson Yards, as part of an initiative called The New West Chelsea. According to a press release from the developer, they’re adding 15 new gallery spaces around their luxury condo at 520 West 28th Street, the late Zaha Hadid‘s undulating High Line stunner. A new space called High Line Nine, which will be located next to the condo and under the elevated park, will be modeled on a European galleria, complete with nine “boutique exhibition spaces,” a cafe/wine bar with outdoor seating, catering kitchen, and amenity packages. They’ll also add four galleries within the base of the condo, as well as two stand-alone spaces on the block.
Related explains on the project page, that over the past several decades “West Chelsea grew up,” moving from “gritty warehouse area on the western edge of the city” to “the city’s premier creative neighborhood” after acquiring many galleries that had first moved to Soho and then those from all over the world. Now that it’s the largest gallery district in the city and has $5 billion in new luxury development, anchored by Hudson Yards, the High Line, and the #7 subway station, the time is ripe to “leverage that opportunity to new advantage.”
According to Related’s Executive Vice President Greg Gushee, who is spearheading the gallery project, it was “inspired by Zaha Hadid’s sculptural building… which is one of the finest residential buildings in the City and a monumental piece of art. We saw the unique opportunity to create a vibrant, diverse gallery offering to expand and further enhance the West Chelsea art district. Not only creating world class gallery spaces, but also a completely new-to-market concept—a collection of highly amenitized, full service exhibition spaces that allow domestic and international galleries to showcase their collections while we take care of all of the mundane details. We also believe the new galleries will be a great amenity for the residents of 520 West 28th, many of whom are art collectors already.”
The new Paul Kasmin Gallery at 511 West 27th Street
The Paul Kasmin Gallery, which was founded in 1989 in Soho, currently occupies three locations in the neighborhood, but it will serve as the anchor tenant for the project with a 5,000-square-foot gallery next to the condo at 511 West 27th Street and an additional exhibition space within High Line Nine. The new space is designed by studioMDA founder Markus Dochantschi, whose firm specializes in gallery design. It will have 22-foot ceilings, a column-free layout, twenty skylights and polished concrete floors.
The gallery spaces at High Line Nine will be organized alongside a central hallway and range from 650 to 1,800 square feet. They’ll feature 13- to 22-foot-tall walls with skylights above. In terms of the amenities, tenants will have access to a concierge, security, destination marketing and events, and cleaning services. Additionally, utilities and all real estate fees are included.
The two stand-alone galleries at 521 and 523 West 27th Street are also designed by studioMDA. They’re located on the west side of the condo project and can either be one large 4,410-square-foot space or two separate spaces at 1,900 and 2,510 square feet.
514 West 27th Street
Those galleries within 520 West 28th Street–at 514 and 519 West 27th Street on the corner of the street and 10th Avenue–will range from 1,000 to 5,4000 square feet and are anticipated to open this spring. There’s also an additional single-story retail building at 500 West 28th Street, which wraps around the corner and was designed by Hadid herself. It can be used as another gallery, a restaurant, or a showroom.
The project is currently in the pre-leasing phase, providing tenants the chance to customize their spaces. The two stand-alone galleries, along with High Line Nine, are expected to open late this year, while the galleries within the condo are expected to open this spring.
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