Closer look at Gluckman Tang Architects' sleek design of the Walter De Maria Pavilion

Gluckman Tang Architects designed the De Maria Pavilion as part of an informal art walk on an 11-acre estate in the small town of Bridgehampton, New York. Named after artist Walter De Maria, the sleek light-filled structure houses his minimalist sculptural pieces and drawings. At 1,680 square feet, the small project made a pretty big impression on the AIA 2017 Small Project Awards jury, and won an award in the Under 5,000 sq.ft. category.

The pavilion's design inverts the typical formal garden by reintroducing various indigenous plants like red cedars, bayberry, swamp white oaks, and meadow grasses.

Its brick facade alludes to the 1920s walled “kitchen garden”, while its dark color was inspired by a 32-ton, dark granite outdoor sculpture called “Large Grey Sphere”, which is located on the estate.

Featuring a large skylight and window-wall, the board-formed, concrete interior complements the works of Walter De Maria. Light levels are modulated by light-diffusing glazing and motorized shades that are mounted above Alaskan Yellow Cedar rafters. 

The 24-inch bricks of the east and west faces are set “in a random bond pattern with alternating courses corbeled to create emphatic horizontal shadow lines,” the architects describe. “At the north and south, the brick is split and set in a header-only bond”, thus creating a coarse texture that contrasts with the building's more polished interior. “This strategy is a reference to the earlier pavilion where every wood structural member was oriented in the same direction.”