Project Overview

Artist Gregory Colbert’s extraordinary exhibit, Ashes and Snow, has touched millions with its portrayal of astounding symmetry between animals and humans.

The housing of his work demanded innovation and creativity and MVN was called upon to build a home for Colbert’s New York City premiere “Ashes and Snow” that would do justice to the artist and his work.

Working with a cross-section of artists from around the world, engineers, architects, and city authorities, MVN erected a 700-foot museum made of 150 shipping containers stacked 4 high, 30-inch diameter columns, and a fabric roof on Pier 54 in Manhattan’s West Side. A lack of on-site space required sub-assembly of various components off site and transport via barge.

In keeping with the tone of Colbert’s work, we custom-designed methodologies to safely erect the museum out of non-traditional building materials, such as columns and trusses made from recyclable cardboard.