Amant was designed by Brooklyn-based architecture firm SO–IL as an art campus, housing exhibition galleries, a performance space, a bookstore and café, as well as an independent studio residency. A series of courtyards and thoroughfares weave through and between the buildings thereby integrating art spaces into the urban fabric of East Williamsburg.

At 315 Maujer, gallery spaces and offices are enclosed in a single volume of white bricks set in a continuous rotation around the building, accentuated by shadows that help to create a sense of movement.

Above the masonry section, an uninterrupted band of exterior aluminum louvers diffuses daylight into a 22 ft, tall gallery space. A textured concrete path connects the street front to a courtyard that opens onto a garden.

Image: Rafael Gamo
Image: Rafael Gamo

932 Grand was an existing marble shop converted to house over 2,000 sq ft. of gallery space and a café and bookstore.

The exterior is newly clad in a scored clay brick and semi-open galvanized steel channels, with a small outdoor courtyard buffering the gallery from the Grand St. thoroughfare.

At 306 Maujer, two deeply textured cast-in-place concrete volumes enclose a 1500 sq ft. lush garden. One of the buildings is an art residence that consists of a ground floor with a communal area and library that residents use for regular seminars, meetings, and small gatherings with invited guests. Four daylit artist studios occupy the floor above.

Walkways at the east and west perimeter connect to a second concrete volume housing Géza, an 1800 sq ft. space dedicated to live events. Géza is where exhibition and public programs merge with residency activities to create a space for rehearsal and multifunctional uses.