New York Studio School renovation unearths hidden murals

Director Matthew Ritchie and architect Matthew Baird are renovating the New York Studio School at 8 West 8th Street in Manhattan, New York.

The project aims to repair a century-old building that suffered from leaking roofs, deteriorating wiring, and limited wheelchair access. To meet expiring public grant deadlines, the team compressed three years of planning and execution into one year. The renovation team uncovered several pieces of art hidden behind layers of plasterboard during the first phase of construction.

Workers found a mural by artist Cecily Brown and two murals by Robert E. Locher. The school chose to preserve these works rather than remove them, integrating them into the new layout. The design team placed a cabinet in front of Brown's mural to manage its content in a public gallery, while the Locher murals will remain in a hallway and bathroom area.

The project also addressed structural hazards, including cracking beams beneath a fireplace that required emergency support to prevent a ceiling collapse. The first phase of the work includes a new accessible lecture hall, doubled exhibition space, and a full rewiring of the building. A second phase starting in the spring will focus on student facilities and restoring the original lighting systems installed by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.