The Shed was designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Rockwell Group, is known for its ability to transform and adapt to changes in the program. It opened in New York City in early April 2019 as part of Hudson Yards — the largest private real estate development in the history of the US. The scheme comprises two floors of expansive galleries, a versatile 500-seat theatre, and the McCourt, a multiuse hall for large-scale performances, installations and events. A rehearsal space, lab for local artists and event space are located in the Tisch Skylights on the top floor.
The centre opens to the public with the world premiere of Soundtrack of America, a five-night concert series, conceived by contemporary Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen. with a creative team led by Quincy Jones and Maureen Mahon. The series celebrates the unparalleled impact of African-American music on contemporary culture with performances by a new generation of artists on a Rockwell group-designed set.
When deployed, the shed’s telescoping outer shell creates the McCourt — a 1580 square-metre space with conditioned light, sound and temperature. Named in recognition of Shed board member Frank McCourt Junior and his family, the space can accommodate an audience of nearly 1250 seated or over 2000 standing. Large operable doors to the north and east transform the McCourt into an open-air pavilion. When the translucent shell is nested over the base building, the resulting 1860-square-metre exterior plaza offers open public space with room for outdoor exhibitions and events. 
The Shed features two expansive and programmatically flexible column-free galleries on the second and fourth level of the base building. Together these areas total more than 2320 square metres of lofty, museum-quality space. Operable east-side walls can join the galleries with the McCourt to accommodate space or seating requirements for larger-scale installations and performances. A 1086 square metre, sound-isolated black box space on the sixth level — the Kenneth C. Griffin theatre — can be either used as a single large theatre with 500 seats or subdivided into two smaller theatres that can host concurrent events.
“Eleven years in the making, the Shed is opening its doors to the public as a perpetual work-in-progress,” said Elizabeth Diller of DS+R. “I see the building as an ‘architecture of infrastructure,’ all muscle, no fat and responsive to the ever-changing needs of artists into a future we cannot predict. Success for me would mean that the building would stand up to challenges presented by artists while challenging them back in a fruitful dialogue.”
“The Shed was conceived as an adaptable and structural palette that will allow an extraordinarily diverse group of creators and artists to incorporate the building into their work,” added David Rockwell, of Rockwell Group. “After what has been a wildly satisfying collaboration, we are thrilled to hand the shed over to the artists and audiences who will carry it forward. I couldn’t be prouder. It’s an exciting addition to the long lineage of institutions that have kept our city on the cutting edge of the arts. Ultimately, it is a testament to the energy of New York City.” 
Via Design Boom | Photography by Timothy Schenck