Menu:
Case Study: Museum of Chinese in America
The Museum of Chinese in America ("MOCA") has outgrown its current facility on the second floor of an unrenovated City-owned building in the heart of Manhattan's historic Chinatown. Dedicated to reclaiming, preserving, and interpreting the history and culture of Chinese and their descendants in the Western Hemisphere, MOCA had leased a much larger space nearby and needed a Project Manager. Maya Lin has designed the new facility, which provides significant street-level visibility and will serve as a symbol of the importance of the Chinese-American community and the renaissance of Lower Manhattan.
The new space occupies two full floors in a turn-of-the-century loft building. The ground floor, with access from both Centre and Lafayette Streets, will house the Core Exhibition, which tells the history of Chinese in the United States through a technically-advanced, interactive display. This gallery is centered on a dramatic courtyard/stairwell that leads to the Museum's lower level and serves as an architectural focal point, with a skylight and window-like openings that reflect a traditional Chinese courtyard. The second major gallery will house revolving exhibitions, and serve as a major community event space. Several additional areas will provide archival and meeting rooms, as well as a shop, and the recreation of an historic Chinatown store. The lower level will provide offices, conference rooms, and a large classroom/educational facility, along with "operations" spaces.
Museum magazine - July/August 2008
Between Art and Architecture: The Memory Works of Maya Lin