The Egyptian born and Paris raised artist Ghada Amer’s studio is located in West Harlem, near Morningside Park in Manhattan. Previously, the building was an abandoned church, located in a 5,700 sf masonry double townhouse. Our intervention included the transformation of the entire building into an artist studio for Ghada Amer and Reza Farkhondeh, and an addition of a penthouse extension with a terrace for gatherings and events.

The proposal consists of an extremely simple yet functional layout that repeats on every floor. The front zone is used for the actual painting studio, whereas a rear zone of wet and service spaces is used for storage and preparation of the tools and materials for work. The ruins of the party wall that divided the two tounshouses has been preserved and creates a playful symmetry in the space.

A light filled steel staircase connects all the levels and a roof skylight brings daylight deep into the lower levels of the building. Space, light and air conditions have been maximized to push the limits of local building code and take advantage of the site.