Jay and I made our maiden visit to the new downtown Whitney Museum, designed by Renzo Piano. It was an extraordinary architectural experience – with the building as hero.
We approached the Whitney from the High Line. I noticed a series of metal walkways jutting out from a stepped building with new pink accents. I thought that was the Whitney, but wasn’t sure since it was so well integrated into the neighborhood and the High Line itself.
We took an elevator to the entrance, and found an inviting public space full of tables of people eating and hanging out. Even though it was Wednesday, we waited in line to get into this lobby. I can’t imagine what it’s like on weekends!
The 8th floor was our destination, and our art emersion began when we stepped into elevator designed by artist Richard Artschwager. When we to the top, unlike my usual lingering self, I zipped through the art exhibit to get to the stunning views outside.
The icons of NYC were visible from one spot – the uptown view of the Empire State Building, the downtown view of the Freedom Tower and Statue of Liberty in the distance, and the Hudson River. (Note to self: Find the panorama setting on my new camera….).
The Freedom Tower seemed to be the most popular picture taking attraction, with people taking selfies everywhere. After taking photos of many couples against the skyline, we were rewarded with this shot. 
Then we shifted our attention to the High Line and the outdoor terraces below. In one direction, we saw a scattering of dayglow chairs filled with people (an installation by Mary Heilmann) and some abstract sculptures in another.
We ventured further out on the terraces and outdoor stairs with a nautical feeling that fit with the river setting (think Fleet Week). The constantly shifting angles and views were exciting and almost dizzying with photo ops everywhere. (That’s Jay waving in the red Cardinal jacket.)
Reluctantly I dragged myself inside, and walked to the 7th floor. The indoor staircase was almost an extension of outside, so I felt I was back on a ship. I loved the airy feeling, with the play of light and shadows. I was taking more photos of the stairs than the art!
The lower we went, the more dynamic the views of the building with its protruding platforms and irregular shapes. On the 6th floor, there was an awareness of contrasting raw materials, everything from metal, concrete, to glass. Our vantage point kept changing every few feet as did our perspective of this dynamic structure and the sculptures surrounding it.
The art seemed connected to the museum and neighborhood buildings. This David Smith sculpture played off one of the water towers that punctuate the lower Manhattan skyline, and had people talking about it.
When I walked four floors down to the lobby, I was greeted by this light installation on the interior staircase.
The creative Whitney Building is an experience to be savored, and I wanted more. I broke my resolution to cut down on digital clutter and not take so many photos…. oh well.
On our way out, we exchanged our tickets for a Whitney Membership to avoid wasting time in line, and to allow for short visits. Taking out an unplanned museum membership says a lot about the downtown Whitney, which will give MOMA a run for its money in 2015. See for yourself.
Helpful Hint for Parking: We broke our all-time Manhattan parking record at $58.50 for only 3 hours in one of the recommended lots, dampening our enthusiasm just a bit at the end. Next time we’ll park in Chelsea or more towards the center of Manhattan to avoid sticker shock – and we’ll look for online parking coupons elsewhere.
