About OUR INCUBATOR SPACE
175 WEST WASHINGTON STREET, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA
175 West Washington Street in Chicago is a three-story, orange-rated commercial building in the Chicago Loop and a contributing property to the West Loop–LaSalle Street Historic District. Built in 1933, the building is historically significant as the headquarters for the Chicago Federation of Musicians.
The building fronts Washington Street and shares a party wall with the adjacent high rise to the west. The first floor is clad in polished granite and features a bronze-framed entrance at the east end and an angled, recessed storefront occupying the remainder of the facade. Above the first floor, the facade is clad in limestone detailed in low relief with multi-story, fluted pilasters and other sculptural elements. The tall second floor features large window openings topped with cast metal panels ornamented with depictions of musicians and instruments.
The Project proposes a New Laboratory for the Arts in a gem of a building with an historic past of creative equity that gave a voice to many of Chicago’s most talented African American blues and jazz musicians.
As a gallery, multimedia and technology hub, Zaryab Art Labs will be a collaboration place where Art (individual creativity) meets Technology (digitalization) for the purpose of achieving Collective Creativity.
The project is named for “Zaryab” (Golden One) a singer, oud and lute player, composer, poet and teacher who was active at the court of Cordoba in Islamic Iberia. He was also a polymath, with knowledge in astronomy, geography, meteorology, botany, cosmetics, culinary art, and fashion. The project aims for a continuation of the spirit of this legendary character of the arts.
The project brief calls for ground floor exhibition space for painting and sculpture, accompanied by supporting retail and café functions. A secondary entrance hall and circulation route to the building’s upper levels will also serve as an additional exhibition space. The second level performance hall will feature digital art and music exhibitions, as well as digital projection and new immersive experiences. The third level will feature digital brainstorming labs, where artists of all kinds-poets, musicians, painters and animators- may download their work and collaborate to create new digitally immersive experiences.
Ultimately, Zaryab Arts Lab will be a place of social benefit, for cultural acceptance and healing through shared and collaborative art experiences.