This museum set in the Bowery, is a reflection of the diversity of cultures found here in New York City.  As different people settle in different parts of town where they feel comfortable, so too should art be placed in the appropriate setting within a museum.  Here in this museum there is a gradient from completely enclosed interior space to exposed outdoor space.  The more sensitive the art the more enclosed the space.  This gradient is determined by which street the facade faces.  Busy Bowery street gets a more closed treatment while the Chrystie St. facade that faces the park invites people in with an openness.  

Precedents: Noguchi Museum, Morgan Library