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122 COMMUNITY CENTER

Tilda
Kristersson

Located in a former public school in New York City’s
East Village—a neighborhood has long been defined by
its diverse culture, persistent energy and artistic influ-
ences—122 Community Center functions as a vibrant
community hub. The Center is an umbrella organization
that serves four very different organizations: AIDS Service
Center/Allied Services Center NYC, Mabou Mines (an
avant-garde theatre company), Painting Space 122 and
Performance Space 122.

The challenge was to incorporate four very different ten-
ants into the space and make all of the various kinds of vis-
itors feel safe and at home. The design of 122 Community
Center was inspired by the concept of belonging, creating
shared experiences for the tenants and generating rela-
tionships that otherwise would not happen.

The major design element is a curving screen that divides
the Center into individual program spaces. Creating
a sense of belonging within the Center, the screen goes
throughout the space and generates a sense of distinct
but overlapping programs. By replacing solid walls with a
screen made of wood slats placed one inch apart, I create
in each space an awareness of what is happening on the
other side, producing one shared experience that brings
the different tenants together.

Degree: Lund University, Sweden, B Political Science, Major
Human Geography. tilda_kristersson@hotmail.com

Faculty: Bren Galvez-Moretti and Cary Ng

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