Formerly the estate of James Cagney, Allied Works was commissioned by new owners to design a residence, guesthouse and private gallery on 400 acres in Dutchess County, New York. Located on the eastern slopes of the Hudson River Valley, the land consists of rolling hills, open fields, dense hardwood forest and quiet streams. The estate offers diverse spaces for living and entertaining and a range of sites and experiential qualities for the family’s renowned collection of contemporary art.
The main house lies at the head of a large meadow, providing sweeping views of the valley and mountains beyond. The residence takes the form of a two-level glass helix that is linked by double-height volumes and a sculptural central staircase. Three courts, bordered by stone walls, anchor and orient the house to the surrounding landscape. A taut skin—composed of transparent, translucent and opaque planes of glass and steel—mediates light and views, and becomes the canvas for a commissioned, 360-degree video installation by Doug Aitken. The feeling of the residence is one of perpetual fluidity and change, revealing new relationships between art, architecture, the land, and the family.