Museum of Trash | Staten Island, New York
Rhode Island School of Design | Advanced Studio led by: Spencer Hayden
The Museum of Trash seeks to make visible the oft-unnoticed processes of sanitation maintenance within New York City — and subsequently recast Staten Island’s long history with garbage disposal. Joining with an existing NY Dept of Sanitation facility in an otherwise residential Staten Island neighborhood, this new institution invites a curious public to observe the museumification of the sanitation process and celebrate the public service of the city’s many sanitation workers.
A new ground datum is recognized above the existing sanitation garage and street, allowing for a series of courtyards to punch through the facility roof. This repeated operation allows for natural light to improve the quality of space for sanitation workers below, as well as allow museum goers a glimpse into the city’s sanitation infrastructure.
The public is pulled up from the sidewalk to an outdoor space on the new ground datum via a large urban staircase. Within the museum gallery, the combination of smaller staircases, elevators, and courtyards allow the public to descend to select areas of the facility garage. A new lounge space for the sanitation team is established overlooking the gallery below.
