After a decade of remediation and construction, a derelict industrial building along the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn has been transformed into a state-of-the-art fabrication facility and makerspace for ceramic, print, and public art, as well as space for events and education. Known as Powerhouse Arts, the property is located at 322 3rd Avenue and was transformed by Pritzker Prize-winning design studio Herzog & de Meuron, alongside New York City’s PBDW Architects.
The hulking six-story building was originally constructed in 1904 and functioned as the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company’s central power station. The station was decommissioned in the 1950s, then fully vacated by the 1970s. Following a partial roof collapse, the building was frequented by squatters, graffiti artists, and all-night rave seekers in the 2000s, which earned the property its infamous “Gowanus Batcave”…
