A First-of-Its-Kind Retractable Performance Venue

Interwoven among the High Line, commercial and residential towers, the Penn Station railyard, and Hudson Yards plaza, The Shed is the world’s first retractable performance venue, featuring 16,000 square feet of convertible performance space. When extended, the covered canopy creates an acoustically controlled venue for up to 1,000 patrons, redefining adaptability in performance architecture.

Key Features

• 16,000 SF convertible performance space with retractable canopy
• 500-seat black-box theater for experimental productions
• 25,000 SF of museum-quality gallery space for exhibitions
• 6,000 SF clear-span event space for flexible programming
• Indoor dining area to enhance the visitor experience

Project Challenges

Faced with unforeseen challenges in delivering the world’s first movable building, including a 4,000-ton retractable venue, The Shed engaged Ron Austin mid-construction as Project Director to conduct a forensic review and reset the project schedule and budget.

Once the new parameters were established, Ron took on an oversight role, serving as the client’s authority, ensuring the success of the project by managing the services of the designers, construction manager, and owner’s representative.

Thanks to strategic intervention and expert project leadership, The Shed successfully opened in Fall 2019, setting a new benchmark in transformative performance architecture.