Boston Institute of Contemporary Art

Perched on the edge of a wharf overlooking downtown Boston, Diller Scofidio + Renfro's new Institute of Contemporary Art takes advantage of its strange dramatic site, providing useful, unusually provocative spaces for the various arts it was built to house. While it is not surprising that Diller and Scofidio, who are artists themselves, were able to accommodate the complex programme imaginatively, their new firm's handling of the site in their first freestanding American building is impressive indeed. Jayne Merkel explains how the interiors are individualised and energised by the embrace of the harbour in a scheme that minimises the location's drawbacks and turns a visit into an art experience in its own right. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.