Tina Kim Gallery – New York City

SO – IL completed the transformation of an existing art space into the new Tina Kim Gallery. Affiliated with Kukje in Seoul, the gallery is devoted to showcasing and introducing international contemporary art. The gallery’s new space, which historically functioned as a filling station for luxury cars, is located on West 21st Street in Chelsea. This New York City neighborhood is characterized by numerous spaces for art however, the area’s industrial past is still prevalent within the urban fabric.

Over time, the brick facade of the century-old building has undergone numerous changes. Traces of this ever-evolving life are legible in the various brick patterns on the building’s skin. The current space is yet another layer of this ongoing history; recontextualizing pre-existing galleries and transforming the entrance to provide an unexpected experience of the familiar. The entry’s sculptural brickwork gently pulls the street inward, turning the rigid wall into an expressive threshold moment.