72 ANNABELLE SELLDORF BALANCING ACT
Proportion, harmony, sense of composition. Those are the values of a greatmuseum – and she has designed a greatmany – as much as they are of an apartment on Fifth Avenue. «I like going from one room to another, to see how it all fits together», says the G
Architect Annabelle Selldorf lives at one of New York’s most prestigious addresses – 1 Fifth Avenue. The art deco landmark has a stately, dignified air that pleasingly contrasts with the pulsating city outside. The artist hang-outs in the Village, Washington Square Park’s street musicians and the neo-punksters on St. Mark’s Place are just steps away. There’s none of that Upper East Side ‘tude here. «I always loved the area’s cultural diversity», said Selldorf, as she gazed out the long line of windows in her fifth-floor apartment. The ex-pat German is the go-to gal for tasteful transformations of museums and galleries. While life bustles on the other side of the glass, her home exudes a convent-like peace and quiet, a place to contemplate at various hours of the day. «I have a large living room, and not because I like sitting on the sofa. Rather, this is a place for observing, where you see how objects interact and change according to the light». For this expert, the eye’s interpretation of a space is a fundamental element. Her modernist architecture, from the Neue Galerie in Manhattan to the LUMAArles cultural centre in France, seduces without ever being intrusive. IanWardropper, director of the Frick Collection, a pre-eminent museum housed in an Upper East Side mansion, selected Selldorf ’s firm to renovate and expand the historic building, a delicate project slated to be completed in 2019. «I am a visual person», explained Selldorf while preparing a soft-boiled egg (and admitting that she «loves being in the kitchen»). This residential project, however, was envisioned in its entirety. «I conceived this house like a composition. I enjoy wandering from one room into another and seeing how it all fits together». Creating equilibrium is at the heart of her work here and on other projects. She wants to know who is living or using the space and how, identify the various elements and create a harmonious dialogue among them. This often requires seemingly small changes that have a big effect, as seen when she covered her apartment’s concrete floors with striped marble. «When I bought the apartment, it made me sad to think that the former owner had covered the concrete floor with carpets. I removed them and kept the floors bare, rough and full of life for 10 years». Selldorf has designed some of the most famous galleries in the world. The list includes the Gladstone Gallery and two massive exhibition spaces for David Zwirner, all in the former warehouse district of Chelsea. And no less than five galleries for Hauser& Wirth. Nevertheless, she doesn’t consider herself an art collector. «I combine art works with pieces frommy past. That FranzWest sculpture I bought because it’s designed to be interactive. It’s a painting, a vase and a cabinet for hiding secrets». Just inside the apartment’s entrance, you’ll find her own personal art gallery. «Unlike the loft where I lived before, here I can finally admiremy drawings every time I leave and enter the house. It relaxes me». Born in Cologne in 1960, she grew up amidst artists, musicians and writers. Her mother (artist) and father (architect) introduced her to art at a young age. «We would go to museums and galleries. I learned everything from them. The most important thing is not being dogmatic. People often think my style is minimal. But it’s not. It’s maximal». That’s clear in her latest project, an expansion of San Diego’s Museum of Contemporary Art which overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Selldorf ’s design gets in sync with the building without imposing a rigid point of view. She’s seeking the space’s essence, focusing on who will experience it rather than a specific shape. «The new museum will be the ideal destination for art lovers and also those who want only to explore the building after a stroll along the beach». The challenge is finding that fine balance of welcoming visitors and, in some way, changing them. One of her inspirations is the Salk Institute for Biological Studies designed by Louis I. Kahn and located just a few miles from the museum. «Kahn’s architecture reflects a sophisticated civilization, combines nature and beauty, and helps foster intelligence and human capacity». With a similar clear-mindedness, Selldorf investigates what is needed in a structure before meticulously and gracefully making it a reality. «New Yorkers love the Frick Collection and are worried that I will ruin it». This is certainly not her objective. She promises that the changes will be undetectable and maintain the beloved historic site’s essence. The collection, ranging from works by Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini to English Romanic painterWilliam Turner, will continue to be displayed in the residential setting but the relationship between the spaces and artworks will be subtly improved. «The mansion hasn’t undergone a renovation since 1935 and needs some work done. But I have to make changes without anyone realizing it. My work will be invisible. This type of project isn’t for everyone, but I enjoy it». In contrast, all eyes will turn to look at her shimmering work on a 21-storey residential complex on East 12th Street, not far fromher own apartment. «The skyscraper will reflect the sunlight, increasing the perception of light from the sidewalks». For Selldorf, certain aspects must be considered with every building project: longevity, influence on the urban setting and how it will change the residents’ perceptions. «Every day I walk past the building to reachmy office. I have to make sure that it turns out well», said a smiling Selldorf as she headed to the windows again to steal a glimpse of the bustling city below.