GRT Architects Renovates Storefront for Art and Architecture

Storefront for Art and Architecture has completed its first major renovation in decades, with GRT Architects—a New York and Mexico City firm featured on AN Interior's Top 50 list—delivering what the practice called "long overdue" infrastructural upgrades.

The changes begin at the door. GRT designed a new door handle that better signals the main entry, making the gallery easier to find and access. Behind the concrete letters spelling out "Storefront for Art and Architecture"—originally designed by Vito Acconci in the 1990s—the front facade now carries new back-lighting. Electrical and HVAC systems were also upgraded.

Inside, new track lighting allows for color modification. A custom aluminum display system, designed by GRT, holds exhibition newsprints, books, and artwork. The system draws directly on Storefront's own architectural DNA: its riveted steel columns and movable facade panels, designed by Acconci and Steven Holl. Flexible by design, the display system can take shape in over a dozen positions depending on its placement in the gallery.

The bathroom received the most theatrical treatment. Artist Jorge Pardo, a Storefront board member, designed custom tiles produced with Cerámica Suro, a Mexican company. GRT described the result as a "maximalist departure" from Storefront's minimalist gloss. GRT also contributed small furniture and hardware pieces, including a gallery desk and back-of-house storage modules.

The commission carries personal history. Tal Schori, GRT Architects founder, was tapped by José Esparza Chong Cuy, Storefront's executive director, thanks to his ongoing connection to the institution—he currently serves on its Board of Directors—and his experience working on museum spaces. Both men started their careers at Storefront after architecture school: Schori as a gallery manager, Cuy as a curatorial associate.

Storefront was founded in 1982 by Kyong Park. AN cofounder and editor Bill Menking was a longtime board member there. The organization operated out of 51 Prince Street from 1982 to 1986, then moved to its present location at 97 Kenmare Street, where Holl and Acconci finished renovating the space in 1993.

In a statement, GRT said the renovation "marks an exciting reinvestment into its [Storefront's] mission" because it "allows for the creation of more ambitious exhibitions with more precise control of the space and its design."

"What's more," GRT continued, "the renovation will enable Storefront to continue its work for years to come, further cementing it as a mainstay of Soho and a consistent cornerstone of New York's ever-changing downtown gallery scene."

The building itself is about to become a subject. Storefront's next exhibition, The Biography of a Building: Runik's House of Culture, curated by Hajde! Foundation, Petrit Halilaj, and Ars Atelie, opens September 25. On September 28, the gallery hosts its annual fundraising gala, honoring architecture and design firm SO–IL, arts leader Deana Haggag, and artist Mel Chin.