The Shed (arts center) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Shed

July 2019 view
Established	April 5, 2019 (2019-04-05)
Location	545 W. 30th Street between 10th Avenue and 11th Avenue, New York, NY 10001
Type	Cultural center
Public transit access	New York City Subway:   trains at 34th Street-Hudson Yards New York City Bus: M11 NB at 10th Avenue M12 SB at 11th Avenue, NB at 12th Avenue M34 SBS at 34th Street

The Shed is a cool place in Hudson Yards, New York City. It's a cultural center that opened on April 5, 2019. The Shed creates and shows all kinds of art. This includes live shows, visual art, and even pop culture events.

The Shed is inside the Bloomberg Building. It's right next to the High Line, which is an elevated park. The Shed is connected to 15 Hudson Yards, a tall building in the Hudson Yards area. An independent group runs The Shed. Its Artistic Director is Alex Poots.

History

Building The Shed

Construction on The Shed began in 2015. The main design was created by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Another group, Rockwell Group, also helped with the design. The Shed has some amazing features. It has a special shell that can move. This creates a large space called The McCourt. This space is perfect for big shows and art displays. The building also has a theater with 500 seats. Plus, there are two floors for art exhibitions.

The city of New York helped make The Shed possible. In 2005, the city changed the rules for how land could be used in the Hudson Yards area. This change helped new buildings like The Shed get built. In 2010, the city allowed buildings to be constructed over the train tracks. This is how The Shed got its unique location.

How The Shed Was Funded

The platform supporting The Shed being built in September 2014

The city of New York kept a piece of land for cultural use. This land was on West 30th Street, next to The High Line. City leaders wanted a flexible building here. They wanted a place where different types of artists could work together.

The city chose Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Rockwell Group to design this flexible building. The Shed is a six-story building. It's smaller than the huge skyscrapers around it. The city still owns the land where The Shed stands. They also gave money to help build it.

Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave a lot of money to The Shed. He donated $15 million in 2012. Then, he gave another $60 million five years later. The city also gave $50 million in 2013. This was the biggest grant the city gave that year. By 2019, The Shed had received $529 million in donations. This money helped build the center and start its programs.

Construction Details

A special group called The Shed, a nonprofit organization, was created in 2012. This group was in charge of building and running the center. Dan Doctoroff became the Chairman in 2013. He helped raise money and guided the building's design.

Building The Shed over the train tracks was a big job. First, strong supports were put into the ground. These supports held up a platform over the tracks. This platform was finished in late 2014. The actual building started going up in mid-2015.

The building's name was changed to "The Shed" in 2016. The cool retractable shell was finished by 2017. The Shed officially opened on April 5, 2019. It started with four live shows and exhibitions. The building was named the Bloomberg Building to honor former Mayor Bloomberg. He donated $75 million towards its cost.

Design

Wheels that help the shell move

The Shed is a huge art and performance center. It's about 170,000 square feet in size. It's located at the southern part of the Hudson Yards area. The building has 40,000 square feet of open exhibition space. It also has 25,000 square feet of museum-quality space. There's a theater that can seat up to 500 people.

One of the most amazing parts is the expandable shell. This shell is 16,000 square feet. It uses technology like industrial cranes. This allows the space to get bigger or smaller. It can fit many different events and audiences. You need a ticket to see shows and exhibitions inside.

The main entrance to The Shed is on 30th Street. It's right under the High Line. There are also other entrances from the Hudson Yards public plaza. This plaza entrance is close to the 34th Street–Hudson Yards subway station. Inside, there are two galleries on the first and second floors. On the third floor, there's a flexible space. It can be used for performances or art displays.

The moving shell weighs about 8 million pounds. It's made of a strong steel frame. This frame is covered with a special plastic called ETFE. This plastic works like insulating glass but is much lighter. The shell can open and close in just 5 minutes. When the shell is pulled back, the outdoor plaza becomes a public space. The shell moves on eight large wheels. Each wheel is 6 feet wide. Six powerful motors make the wheels turn. The Shed is right next to 15 Hudson Yards and The High Line.

Management

In 2014, Alex Poots became the Artistic Director of The Shed. He used to lead other big art festivals. In January 2023, he decided to focus only on the artistic side. Meredith "Max" Hodges then became the CEO in October.

Events

The Shed was designed to host many different cultural events. These include art shows, performances, films, design events, food festivals, and fashion shows. Even New York Fashion Week has thought about moving some of its shows to The Shed.

Notable Events

2017 view of The Shed, 10 and 15 Hudson Yards, with Vessel being built behind it

In 2016, The Shed started a dance program. It focused on important social justice issues. It also worked with the MIT Media Lab. This helped artists create works using virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

The first permanent art piece for The Shed was announced in 2017. Artist Lawrence Weiner designed the plaza. He arranged pavers to spell out "In front of itself." Before The Shed opened, many exciting shows were announced. These included:

• A concert series about African American music. It was created by Steve McQueen and Quincy Jones.
• A collaboration between artist Gerhard Richter and music composers Steve Reich and Arvo Pärt.
• A performance called "Norma Jeane Baker of Troy." It featured Ben Whishaw and Renee Fleming.
• An exhibition of art by Trisha Donnelly.

From May to June 2019, the Icelandic musician Björk performed a concert series. It was called "Björk's Cornucopia." The show had unique visuals and costumes. It also promoted environmentalism. The movie 6 Underground also had its premiere at The Shed in December 2019.

The Shed closed its public programs on March 12, 2020. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. It reopened its galleries on October 16, 2020. An exhibition by Howardena Pindell was shown. During the pandemic, extra staircases were opened. This helped visitors keep a safe distance from each other. In early 2021, The Shed announced live performances would return. These included shows by Kelsey Lu, the New York Philharmonic, Renée Fleming, and Michelle Wolf. In 2023, The Shed showed the last musical by Stephen Sondheim, Here We Are.

Theatrical Productions

Since it opened in 2019, The Shed has hosted many famous plays and musicals.

See also

• 10 Hudson Yards
• 15 Hudson Yards
• High Line