secret sky: catie newell cuts a triangular section through an old barn in rural michigan

catie newell reimagines the iconic american barn

Sometimes it’s the seemingly simple interventions that make the biggest impact. This is certainly the case for ‘Secret Sky’ by Catie Newell of Alibi Studio. Together with a team of specialists and volunteers, Newell has cut a triangular-shaped slice out of an existing wooden barn in Hume, Michigan. Set against the rural Midwestern landscape, the precise incision allows the sky to enter and permeate the building and makes the façade appear like a 2D frame. 

‘Not so long ago, for a very long time, with a big sky and a lot of help, we turned this barn into a gift to the sky. The day and the night have long since moved in’, said Alibi Studio on Instagram.

Newell‘s design is just as impressive at night as soft lighting from the inside turns the building into a large, glowing lantern in the landscape.

Secret Sky is part of an ongoing art project called 53 North, which asks artists to reimagine the iconic American barn in a creative way, transforming them into massive art installations. 

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project info:

name: Secret Sky

location: 5201 Pinnebog Road, Hume, Michigan, United States

architecture: Catie Newell (Alibi Studio)

project team: Charlie O’Geen (EtC Construction Services), John Gruber (Sheppard Engineering), Maksim Drapey, Julia Jeffs, Oliver Popadich, Kelly Gregory, Ryan Craney, James Boyle, Chris Boyle, Cindy Patrick, Brandt Rousseaux, Carl Osentoski (Greater Port Austin Art and Placemaking); Pete Maley (bricklayer), Terry Boyle (volunteer lead) with Mike Chin, David Gilbert, James Schmalenberg, Tom Schmalenberg, Done Jones, Carol Breitmeyer, Chip Newell, Esther Yang, Scott Hocking and Jon Rees (volunteers), Phil Cooley and Paul Arnet (construction support)

barn donated by: Michael Schoenhals