Powerhouse Arts – Herzog & de Meuron
Powerhouse Arts, located in Gowanus and Red Hook, Brooklyn, is a 170,000 sq ft not-for-profit arts manufacturing facility designed to support fabrication in wood, metal, ceramics, textile, and print. The project transforms a 115-year-old derelict power plant on a former industrial site into a modern, flexible production hub, preserving Brooklyn’s industrial legacy while fostering creative employment.
The design, led by Herzog & de Meuron, restores the historic Turbine Hall and reimagines the Boiler House, whose mass and structure are reinstated atop the original foundations. A robust concrete façadecomplements the existing masonry shell, while new windows fill the original punched openings. Inside, exposed concrete columns and slabs create adaptable, light-filled workspaces, merging industrial history with contemporary making.
