An architectural hub for the Performa Biennial, New York

2009

Studio Miessen and nOffice

For the Ground Floor space of the new Cooper Union’s building on Cooper Square, the Berlin-based architectural practice nOffice/Studio Miessen have been commissioned by RoseLee Goldberg/ Performa to design and construct a symbiosis of Performa’s central hub and a pavilion in which nOffice will broadcast an architectural statement.

Acknowledging that they are not performance artists, nOffice explore the thin line between being understood as architects rather than service providers. The practice interprets architecture as providing and enhancing the performance of matter, but still maintain autonomy of production.

The space at the Cooper Union was designed as a coherent environment and embodies a multiplicity of diverse voice, a democratic archipelago in which hidden structures expose subliminal yet intended narratives. Amongst a general information counter about the Biennial, Performa Hub also includes a screening space, a lecture hall, an archive, a radio and video booth, a kiosk and a small bookstore.