Hell’s Kitchen Community Center
ARCH 3010 - UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
2023
Hell’s Kitchen is a diverse community of culture and cuisine that has continued to grow economically over the course of the past two decades. This community center blends a rich culinary experience with educational and coworking spaces with the intention of furthering the integration of citizens within the neighborhood.
The Site
Hell's Kitchen is a neighborhood significant for its rich historical context, originally serving for the working-class tied to the immigrant experience and known for its vibrant yet tumultuous past, including organized crime and labor movements. Today, it boasts a diverse population that contributes to a vibrant community atmosphere, reflected in its myriad restaurants, shops, and cultural events. Its proximity to key landmarks like Times Square and Broadway makes it an important hub for tourism and local business, while the neighborhood's ongoing gentrification raises critical discussions about affordable housing and community identity.
A Cuisine Nucleus
Located on the site of West 56th Street and 11th Avenue, the community center is placed in a primarily residential area. While the neighborhood has a relatively good walkability score, the site is somewhat distant from any subway station. To combat this void of inaccessibility, the community center offers the residents of Hell’s Kitchen with cultural food options, work spaces, and educational opportunities.
The strategic placement of the center not only addresses local needs but also serves as a vital resource for the community, fostering social cohesion and engagement. Providing a welcoming space for gatherings, workshops, and events, the center aims to bridge the gap between residents and essential services, enhancing overall quality of life.
Built For Collaboration
By introducing a nucleus of diverse food and community work space, the neighborhood and its inhabitants are given access to form relationships that will better Hell’s Kitchen as a whole. The third floor cafe is flooded with natural light and provides various work stations for neighborhood residents to work, collaborate, and socialize.
MASS
Four stacked masses sitting on the left side, facing north, sitting on the line of the street.
TURN
The two top masses are turned to the back of the site to introduce a pattern in the shifting of solids to create a spiral pattern.
PULL
The bottom mass is pulled across towards the other end of the site to establish a base for the structure.
CONNECT
The remaining smallest mass is connected to the adjacent solid to complete the orthogonal element within the rectangular boundary.
ORDER
The top masses are ordered into a hierarchy of size, thus establishing an ascending system of larger to smaller forms.
ORIENT
The massing structure is oriented north as a whole to take up the entirety of the site and command both the street level and rear-view context.