Mayor Bill de Blasio, other elected officials and artists trained the spotlight on Hudson Yards’ latest, biggest attraction Monday.
The Shed art space, located at West 30th Street between 10th and 11th avenues, stands nearly 120 feet tall, its adaptive features able to cater to different forms of art presentations and performances throughout the year. With a retractable shell enclosure that creates a 17,000-square-foot space when closed, The Shed will feature sections dedicated to galleries, acting, and film. Tickets for most exhibitions will cost $10, the mayor said.
"This is something we love in New York City, a place that has it all," de Blasio said during a dedication ceremony.
The Shed officially opens to the public on Friday with several floors of art exhibitions.
Floors two and four — nearly 25,000 square feet — will be dedicated to galleries. The sixth floor houses a 500-seat theater, about 11,700 square feet, and the eighth floor includes a 3,300-square-foot rehearsal space.
The largest component of The Shed is the "McCourt." The adaptive space will be able to accommodate 1,200 seated or 2,000 standing for concerts, movies and other functions.
During warmer weather, the shell, which rests on 6-foot-wide bogie wheels and moves along a 273-foot-long rail systems, can retract for open air programs.
This weekend’s opening act is a five-night concert series entitled "Soundtrack of America." Filmmaker Steve McQueen developed the show which will focus on African-American music and history, and will feature up-and-coming artists.
The Shed’s inaugural season "showcases local and international creativity across all disciplines," according to former Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff, who chairs The Shed’s board of directors.
"A shed is defined as an ‘open-ended structure with tools,’" he said. "That’s what The Shed is designed to be: A platform, a uniquely adaptable building, able to liberate artists to fulfill their dreams."
Other art programs scheduled for the year include "Powerplay," a multimedia project by Latasha Alcindor that focuses on "the act of restoring individual power through collective action," as well as a concert by Björk.
The Shed’s program directors will also provide free educational programs to schools and nonprofits, according to City Council Speaker Corey Johnson.
"We are really excited and lucky to have The Shed as one of the cultural crown jewels of New York City," he said. "The Shed is already hard at work integrating itself into the local community."
