McGee Art Pavilion
School of Art and Design
New York State College of Ceramics on the campus of Alfred University
The expansion to the School of Art and Design at the New York State College of Ceramics in Alfred, New York is designed as a large ceramic vessel for holding art and light. It is set on a plaza between two existing campus buildings on Academic Alley - the main pedestrian thoroughfare on the campus. Its ceramic façade, made of un-glazed terra cotta tubes, is a solar and rain screen. The unglazed terra cotta tubes that make up the screen are expressive of ceramic art objects being created inside and the heritage of the region.
The exhibition space is flexible and large to display contemporary art pieces. A mezzanine gallery overlooks the two story exhibition space to give a bird’s eye perspective to three dimensional work. The mezzanine also connects to the immersive gallery - a black box space for the total immersive display of video and audio art forms.
Below the exhibition hall are art studios, expanded media studios, art history classrooms and support spaces. The expansion is designed to achieve a USGBC LEED Silver certification through control of day lighting in the galleries, TPO roofing, low consumption water fixtures and high efficiency heating ventilation and air conditioning systems - including radiant heating in the exposed concrete floors of the studios and exhibition space.
History and Context
During the nineteenth century, Alfred New York was a major manufacturing region for architectural terra cotta, ceramic and glass. Specifically, the Celadon Terra Cotta Company and later the Ludowici-Celedon Company had their manufacturing facilities located in Alfred, New York. Most of these vast manufacturing facilities are gone; however, the Terra Cotta Building, a historic 1892 sales office sits on the grounds adjacent to the existing School of Art and Design. The School of Art and Design focuses on the artistic advancement of ceramic, glass and expanded media. The addition, with its ceramic tube façade, is a contemporary interpretation of this regions unique ceramic heritage.
