Powerhouse Arts

Status: Completed

Team: Eileen Moore, Radnyee Joshi

Awards:
Graphis Design Annual Silver Award, Environmental
365: AIGA Year in Design Winner, Environmental/Experiential Design

Powerhouse Arts is a not-for-profit facility dedicated to art fabrication, collaboration, education, and events. Based in Brooklyn, New York, it has 170,000 square feet of workshop space for artists and makers working in wood, metal, ceramics, textiles, and print.

The Powerhouse was built in 1903 to supply electricity to Brooklyn Rapid Transit. Due to technological changes and new transportation methods, the plant was decommissioned in the 1970s and eventually became a haven for graffiti artists. The existing derelict structure was recently redeveloped, transforming it into a centre for artists and fabricators.

The building restorations saved as much of the original structure and graffiti as possible. We designed the signage system to reflect the preservation efforts.

The result was signage that matches and accentuates the space’s industrial origin and features. We opted for large-scale, open-channel dimensional letters that frame and reveal the graffiti. The clean forms complement the stark industrial shapes while contrasting with the graffiti, making wayfinding cues unobtrusive, but easy to locate.