The Shed at Hudson Yards

fter years of progress, and some trials and tribulations, it is finally complete: The Shed looks magnificent and fits well into the new office and residential district at Hudson Yards in New York. The Shed, also called the “Bloomberg Building” after the former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, hosts all different kinds of cultural disciplines and combines them to interdisciplinary performances. A variety of events will take place during inauguration season: over a dozen exhibitions, performances and lectures in the fields of theater, dance, art, poetry, film and music. The eight-story building houses two pillar-free galleries, and a 500-seat theater that can be divided into smaller, separate areas for rehearsals and events. A special feature is the McCourt space – a 1,598 square-meter multi-use hall- which is covered with a moveable Texlon® ETFE structure. The ETFE shell moves on rails driven by giant wheels and doubles the usable indoor space of the building. Vector Foiltec designed 146 cushions with 3 layers and two cushions with 4 layers, all with weld lines that were designed to be one continuous line. The specialized load sharing valves are our own creation to cope with high wind loads for this area. The air supply for the 148 cushions consists of four air supply units, mounted on the mechanical deck of the building, so it is hidden from plain view. The makeup of the cushions was for both form and function. To generate the color of the shell we incorporated a print pattern on the top layer, a white middle layer with 29 % opacity, and a transparent bottom layer, adding to the uniqueness of this project. The 90 degree corners of The Shed were a huge challenge. We designed multiple cushions and set up a mock up in Bremen Germany until we found the perfect shape that would meet the client’s needs and goals of the design.