PHOTOGRAPHY FACTORY MUSEUM

The fascination with industrial typologies sparked the inception of the Museum of Photography project, exploring the visual interests captured through the lens. Both photographers and architects, such as the Beckers and Le Corbusier, have found industrial forms to be captivating spaces for creative production. Le Corbusier famously referred to silos as ‘the first fruits of the New Age’ in “Vers une architecture.” The raw, functional beauty of industrial structures provides a unique canvas for artistic expression and appreciation.

With the advent of AI, design technology has undergone a significant shift. AI has absorbed and analyzed vast amounts of information within just 18 months of its public introduction. By leveraging AI as a vast language library, designers can swiftly curate iterations through simple commands and descriptions, shaping a methodology for both schematic and developmental design processes. This symbiotic relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence promises to push the boundaries of design in unprecedented ways.

Just as the birth of the camera revolutionized art, one ponders the potential impact of AI on creative processes. Could AI, armed with information equivalent to humanity’s collective knowledge, render cameras obsolete, relying solely on imaginative descriptions? This project explores these questions and yields a valuable design process methodology applicable to the initial phases of future projects.

Driven by personal interest and the studio’s focus, the museum program became a natural fit. Placing the museum gallery within an industrial context in Brooklyn, particularly in the vibrant areas of Red Hook and Sunset Park, aligns with the community’s rich creative heritage. A museum with industrial-inspired architecture provides a fitting platform for local photographers to exhibit their work, fostering a symbiotic relationship between art and the community’s textile fabric. The design project was selected as an advanced studio distinguished project, which was given a platform to showcase, discuss, and receive feedback from architecture industry professionals.