2010 AIA Albuquerque – Citation of Merit

As the first new project built in the Santa Fe Railyard, the Railyard Galleries needed to define a critical edge and entry to the entire development. The program called for flexible tenant gallery spaces; the challenge was to activate a new pedestrian-oriented contemporary arts corridor. The buildings, defined by three masses consisting of the old Sears-Hansen Warehouse and the two attached volumes of the new Rose-Morelli Building, become permeable portals connecting the Guadalupe Street neighborhood to the planned Plaza and Railyard development. Visibility through the buildings frames views, while the two red stucco masses flanking a central galvanized corrugated volume resolve a rhythm of materiality found in the historic buildings along Guadalupe Street.

The successful completion of this first project in the North Railyard served as an economic catalyst in the development of the adjacent properties, and in the creation of a new, vibrant pedestrian-oriented contemporary arts district. In addition to the visual arts, these buildings are frequently used for community lectures as well as multimedia and performance installations.