Rendering of Guggenheim's plan
The Guggenheim has its eye on 33 East 1st Street, a gorgeous piece of property in the trendy East Village... or rather, a rat-infested vacant lot in the East Village. According to DNAInfo, the museum aims to turn the lot into a temporary community space. Their plan includes a two-level structure, sort of a pop-up community center, which would host workshops, lectures, cooking demonstrations and art classes. The site reports that the lot, owned by the city, is connected to the park space along Houston Street (which is currently under renovations) "that would contain even more features, including a café and public bathrooms, and visitors would have access to the space from both East 1st Street and Second Avenue."
If they get the go-ahead, work will begin in April, and the center would be open from August through mid-October. (Watch out neighbors, the lot's famous rats—which were so plentiful that Animal Planet filmed them—will have to relocate somewhere). After the New York run, it would go on a tour of Europe and Asia. While in Manhattan, it would be open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (with more limited hours on weekdays).
