Coleman BLANCHARD

Royal Pains A gallery for graffiti

Coleman Blanchard . Drexel University . Don Jones . 2017/18

Graffiti is the only illegal activity that prides itself on the recognition of the perpetrator. It stands as proof that the city cannot be controlled and creates a dialogue between those who dictate the aesthetics of our public spaces and those who can’t.

Despite graffiti’s inherent stance against authority, graffiti art has emerged onto the commercial art scene.

But displaying graffiti and street art in squeaky-clean galleries contradicts the original anti-establishment intentions of the artform.

How can Philadelphia’s graffiti culture be celebrated in a way that remains authentic to the anti-establishment convictions inherent to the artform?

The Tate Modern, an art gallery in a former electric factory on the river thames in London, was studied as a precedent. It’s openness and connection to the city makes it an extension of the public realm, and the expansive turbine hall has become an icon art space.

The Tate Modern, London

Gallery To the River Thames

Gallery Gallery Exhibition Space

offices Turbine Hall

Exhibition Space

Placing this museum for graffiti on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the proud avenue connecting city hall to the art museum, affirms graffiti as a cultural treasure of Philadelphia and equates graffiti to the other high arts displayed on the parkway.

Infrastructure

Attractions

Greenspace

Circulation

Because of the freight train rails, Park Towne Place Apartments, and the Vine Street Expressway the site is only accessible from the Northern side facing the Parkway. The site acts as a connector between the Schuylkill River Trail and the Parkway.

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Park Towne Place Apartments

Park way

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“The Oval”

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Parkway Circulation

Art Museum Public Parking / Event Space

Stormwater Management

Schuylkill River Trail Circulation

Putting the museum towards the north end of the site makes it more accessible from both the parkway and river trail. The south side of the site is dedicated to parking and stormwater management.

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A public expression wall faces the parkway and acts as a backdrop during events, a mural wall faces the river trail to publicly display art, and graffiti walls face the expressway to be visible to drivers.

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The site is designed to flow seamlessly into the existing parkway and river trail infrastructure, creating a new public space for the city shared by both locals and tourists.

Public Plaza Site Overlook

Rain Garden

Drop-Off Zone

Terraced Graffiti Area

Graffiti Gallery

Upper Promenade

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100 Car Parking Lot / Event Space

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Total Site Area = 281,360 sf Building Footprint = 62,240 sf (22%) Open Area = 219,110 sf (78%) ● Paved Area = 165,750 sf (76%) ● Landscaped Area = 53,370 sf (24%) ○ Rain Garden = 18,410 sf

Inspired by Mies van der Rohe’s Convention Hall Project, I created a schematic rendering of how I wanted the interior of the Royal Hall to feel. Through design of the hall I continued to reference my initial intentions to be more precise with the feeling of the space.

Convention Hall Project, Mies van der Rohe 1954

Royal Hall

Organization of Program: The design starts with a central grand art installation space, inspired by Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in London. Exhibition galleries and permanent collection galleries wrap around 3 sides of the hall creating a looped circulation ideal for art museums.

Emphasis of the Wall: Northern and western walls, with vantage from the Parkway and Paine’s Park, become the public-expression graffiti wall and mural wall. By pulling them off of the building their presence is emphasized and natural light can wash down into the galleries and Royal Hall, creating a dramatic effect.

Elevated Graffiti Reach: Wrapping the main stair around the public-expression graffiti wall gives higher access to graffiti writers. Both sides of the wall can now be painted all the way up, giving views of graffiti to the public plaza outside and the exhibition galleries inside.

Increased Opportunities for Vandalism: The site and exterior of the building were designed to create spaces for “real� graffiti. The promenade connecting the front of the site to the rear parking was split into two levels, creating long expanses of wall that are ideal for vandalism and visible from the Schuylkill River Trail. The south of the building facing the expressway terraces down towards the ground, making it possible for writers to scale the building and leave their mark.

The exterior of the building is for the writers and citizens of Philadelphia to claim as their own.

Unlike most areas of the city, anyone can contribute to the aesthetics of this public space.

Permanent Collection Gallery Permanent Collection Gallery Permanent Collection Gallery Terraced Graffiti Area

Royal Hall Permanent Collection Gallery Mechanical

The “Royal Hall�, inspired by Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in London, sits at the center of the building and is open to the public. It acts as an extension of the public space and is designed to dramatically display large art installations.

Exhibition Gallery Exhibition Gallery

Lobby

Main Stair

Graffiti Area

Graffiti Gallery

Public Plaza

Exhibition galleries look out towards the main stair that wraps around the public-expression graffiti wall. Galleries displaying the permanent collection terrace downwards at the back of the building, making it scalable by ambitious writers looking to get up.

Basement Plan

1st Floor Plan

2nd Floor Plan

3rd Floor Plan

4th Floor Plan

5th Floor Plan

The museum is mostly cast-in-place concrete to create a solid, heavy structure. In the center of the exterior walls is 2 inches of thermomass, a product used for insulating solid concrete walls that maintains its strength.

The lobby and exhibition galleries utilize a curtain wall system to maintain vantage of the graffiti walls outside. At the base of the curtain wall is a reflecting pool to refract light up into the gallery spaces above.

Main Stair

Lobby

Exhibition Gallery

Permanent Collection Gallery

The Royal Gallery celebrates Philadelphia’s graffiti culture in a way that remains authentic to the anti-establishment convictions inherent to the artform by rethinking the typical gallery aesthetic and creating a public space where anyone can contribute to the aesthetics.