Project Spotlight: Chelsea Art Gallery Transforms Space with Reclaimed Timber

When a well-known art gallery in Chelsea decided to renovate their 5,000-square-foot exhibition space, the architects had an unusual request: they wanted four massive timber columns — each at least 14 feet tall and 12 inches square — made from reclaimed Douglas fir. The columns would serve both as structural support for a new mezzanine level and as sculptural elements within the gallery itself.

Sourcing the Timbers

Finding four matched reclaimed Douglas fir timbers of this size required some effort. We ultimately sourced them from a decommissioned industrial building in the Bronx that was being demolished to make way for new residential construction. The building, constructed in the 1950s, had a heavy timber frame with Douglas fir columns and beams throughout.

We selected six timbers (four primary plus two backup) that were straight, sound, and similar in color and grain. Each was approximately 14"x14"x16' — massive pieces weighing around 500 pounds each.

Processing

The timbers were transported to our Long Island City facility where they underwent our standard process: metal scanning, de-nailing, and surface inspection. We then milled each timber to a consistent 12"x12" cross-section, removing the outermost wood to reveal clean, tight-grained fir beneath the weathered exterior.

The architects wanted two of the columns to retain their hand-hewn texture and two to be smoothly planed — a contrast that highlighted both the raw history of the wood and its refined potential. We executed both finishes in-house.

Installation

Getting 500-pound timbers into a Chelsea gallery required careful planning. Our delivery team used a boom truck to transport the timbers from Long Island City and lower them through a temporarily enlarged loading door. A structural steel contractor had pre-installed base plates and top connections, and each column was crane-set into position over the course of a single day.

The Impact

The finished gallery is remarkable. The four columns establish a rhythm in the space that guides visitors through the exhibition while anchoring the room with warmth and gravity. Against white walls and polished concrete floors, the reclaimed fir columns feel both ancient and contemporary.

The gallery director described them as "art in themselves" — which is the highest compliment a building material can receive. These timbers spent 70 years supporting an industrial building in the Bronx. Now they're supporting art in Chelsea. That's a story worth telling.