INTERVENTION ON THE COOPER HEWITT NATIONAL DESIGN MUSEUM

THIS PROJECT BEGAN WITH THE THEIS THAT THE COOPER HEWITT DESIGN MUSEUM, LOCATED AT THE CARNEGIE MANSION, ONE BLOCK DOWN FROM THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM ON THE WEST SIDE OF MANHATTAN, DESERVES TO BE THOUGHT OF AS AN EQUAL WITH THE CITY’S NOTORIOUS ART MUSEMS.

THE HEWITT SISTERS PRIMARILY BEGAN CURATING ANDREW CARNEGIE’S COLLECTION OF DESIGN ELEMENTS, NOW HOUSED IN THE COOPER HEWITT, WITH THE PHILOSOPHY THAT THESE OBJECTS SHOULD BE ENGANGED WITH IN ORDER TO INSPIRE AND INFORM THE NEXT GENERATION OF DESIGNERS. THE CURRENT LAYOUT AND DISPLAY METHODS OF THE MUSEUM CAGE THESE OBJECTS. WE DESIGNED A SPACE WHICH ALLOWS FOR AS MANY METHODS OF VIEWING THESE DESIGN ELEMENTS AS POSSIBLE.

THE BODILY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE VIEWER TO THE OBJECT, AND THE VIEWER TO OTHER VIEWERS IS MOST IMPORTANT TO REAPPROPRIATE AND DECONTEXTUALIZE THE OBJECT. THIS PROJECT SITUATES ITSELF PARTIALLY AS A SURREALIST CLOUD ABOVE THE CARNEGIE MANSION, AND PARTIALLY AS A BLANK WALL ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE HOUSE, REFRAMING THE MANSION ITSELF AS A DESIGN ELEMENT.