Mathieu Howard

Nia Centre for the Arts

The proposal for the new NIA Centre For The Arts is centered around the idea of creating relationships between the community and the building by giving back something greater to the people of little Jamaica. The uninterrupted views from the interior program of the building to the street and vice-versa create a visual continuity between adjacent streets and the NIA Centre For The Arts through. The transparent ground floor contributes largely to this visual continuity, being clad entirely in glazing. The upper floors are clad in a sawtooth facade influenced by the street traffic and circulation on the site. The sawtooth facade is composed of glazing and aluminum panels overlaid with artwork. This gesture shows off artwork created by artists of the African diaspora and of the NIA Centre and creates a public exhibition of art. A reinforced relationship to the street created by the exposition of artwork on the facade fortifies the NIA Centre For The Arts as a datum for the neighborhood and as a symbol of identity for the community.