The Hotel Chelsea, long a haven for artists (many now famous) from every genre is now in a state of limbo. What was once a community of eccentrics, with parties and a sharing of ideas abound, is now under construction for over a decade. Some residents
and artifacts still remain, but much of what The Chelsea once was has been removed, discarded and sold. What will its’ future be? A smoke cloud fading in the distance – a shell of its former self? Or a rebirth of a new generation of creatives, forging
still into NYC’s future?
My proposal is a short-term artist residency that welcomes artists from all mediums, mixed with full-time residents that will continue in the spirit of what The HC once was. It is to be a place where one can expect the unexpected; where things don’t happen
in its’ usual environs; where nothing is taken too seriously and where collaboration is integral to its continuation.
EXPERIENCES:
Projection art at the lobby mixed with guests checking-in and departing. Exhibition would feature artwork previously found at The Chelsea, with the opportunity for resident artists to have their own installation.
Multi-floor performance space set in an asymmetrical interior atrium (in keeping with asymmetrical exterior). Boundaries between public and private would be blurred, referencing the feeling of the open door policy that previous guests so frequently spoke
of. One side features hotel rooms with no exterior windows, but instead a curtain wall with juliet balconies. These overlook the interior atrium performance space and would have light coming from the atrium’s skylight. The other side would have a
traditional balcony with french doors that open to the balcony from guest rooms, further blurring the lines between public/private. Guest rooms are public spaces. Public spaces are adjacent to private spaces. There are no hard set boundaries between
public/private.
Archway lounges set at the building’s front, adjacent to guest rooms to promote collaboration and allow guests the unusual luxury of enjoying the building’s balconies without having a balcony room.