Kalkin House (Shelburne Museum)
Encyclopedia
The Kalkin House is an exhibition building at Shelburne Museum
, Shelburne, Vermont
. Designed by New Jersey
-based architect and artist Adam Kalkin, it opened in June 1, 2001. The prefabricated building is made of three trans-oceanic shipping containers housed within a commercially-produced metal shell, supplied by Cameron Construction Company, Ferrisburgh, Vermont
. The two-story structure also includes two glass garage doors and a pair of metal grid balconies. The balcony on the north side of the house projects from the wall, and is thus described by Kalkin as the "male" side of the house.
When it was first opened to the public in 2001 Kalkin House was named the Collector's House, envisioned as a 21st century historic house museum. In order to tie the contemporary architecture to the rest of Shelburne Museum, interior designer Albert Hadley
was commissioned to outfit the building with folk art from the museum's collection and furniture. That interior remained in tact until 2006 when the structure was renamed Kalkin House and converted into a space for temporary exhibitions highlighting contemporary design, without removing the kitchen or bathroom fixtures from the structure. The 2006 Kalkin House exhibition, Homey and Hip consisted of twenty pieces of household furniture on loan from Knoll
with the stipulation that visitors could sit on the pieces. The interior was not portrayed as a domestic interior again until 2009 when Queens, New York-based textile artist Richard Saja re-imagined the space with his installation The Bright and Shining Light of Irreverence: Richard Saja and the Historically Inaccurate School.
in 1984 and later studied at the Architectural Association School of Architecture
in London, England. He was awarded a Young Architects Design Award from Progressive Architecture magazine in 1990. In 2005, his Push Button House was shown at Art Basel Miami Beach, and was re-configured as the Illy Café at the Venice Biennale
in 2007.
Shelburne Museum
Shelburne Museum is a museum of art and Americana located in Shelburne, Vermont, United States. Over 150,000 works are exhibited in 39 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the Museum grounds...
, Shelburne, Vermont
Shelburne, Vermont
Shelburne is a town in southwestern Chittenden County, Vermont, United States, along the shores of Lake Champlain. The population was 7,144 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. Designed by New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
-based architect and artist Adam Kalkin, it opened in June 1, 2001. The prefabricated building is made of three trans-oceanic shipping containers housed within a commercially-produced metal shell, supplied by Cameron Construction Company, Ferrisburgh, Vermont
Ferrisburgh, Vermont
Ferrisburgh is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. It was founded June 24, 1762. The population was 2,657 at the 2000 census. The northern part of the town is referred to as North Ferrisburgh, with both sometimes spelled Ferrisburg....
. The two-story structure also includes two glass garage doors and a pair of metal grid balconies. The balcony on the north side of the house projects from the wall, and is thus described by Kalkin as the "male" side of the house.
History
Though the building has never served as a home, it is appointed like one, having two bedrooms each with an associated bathroom, and a central kitchen in the main living space with a sink and refrigerator in the island near the western door. One bedroom is to the south of the main living area on the first floor. The other bedroom is on the second floor on the north end of the house. The south end second floor consists of a sitting room/office with a half-bath.When it was first opened to the public in 2001 Kalkin House was named the Collector's House, envisioned as a 21st century historic house museum. In order to tie the contemporary architecture to the rest of Shelburne Museum, interior designer Albert Hadley
Albert Hadley
Albert Hadley is an American interior decorator born in Nashville, Tennessee. His long-time design partner was Sister Parish. He attended Peabody College, Nashville, and a graduate of and teacher at Parsons School of Design, New York City and Paris. He trained with the South's best-known...
was commissioned to outfit the building with folk art from the museum's collection and furniture. That interior remained in tact until 2006 when the structure was renamed Kalkin House and converted into a space for temporary exhibitions highlighting contemporary design, without removing the kitchen or bathroom fixtures from the structure. The 2006 Kalkin House exhibition, Homey and Hip consisted of twenty pieces of household furniture on loan from Knoll
Knoll (company)
Knoll is a design firm that produces office systems, seating, files and storage, tables and desks, textiles , and accessories for office and for the home. The company also manufactures furniture for the home by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Harry Bertoia, Florence Knoll , Frank Gehry, Maya Lin and...
with the stipulation that visitors could sit on the pieces. The interior was not portrayed as a domestic interior again until 2009 when Queens, New York-based textile artist Richard Saja re-imagined the space with his installation The Bright and Shining Light of Irreverence: Richard Saja and the Historically Inaccurate School.
Architect
Adam Kalkin (American, born 1963) graduated from Vassar CollegeVassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
in 1984 and later studied at the Architectural Association School of Architecture
Architectural Association School of Architecture
The Architectural Association School of Architecture, more usually known as the AA, is an architectural school in London, United Kingdom...
in London, England. He was awarded a Young Architects Design Award from Progressive Architecture magazine in 1990. In 2005, his Push Button House was shown at Art Basel Miami Beach, and was re-configured as the Illy Café at the Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
in 2007.
External links
- Adam Kalkin: Kalkin House on designboom. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
- Adam Kalkin (introduced by Will McLean) Adam Kalkin's ABC's of Container Architecture, 30 January, 2009, AA School of Architecture. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
- Architect's website.Retrieved 19 June 2011.