The openings, two doors and two windows that mirror each other across the plane of the lower plate, share a uniform height of nine feet, rising just above the lower beam. On the exterior, this height is delineated by a subtle cutting motion through the vertical panels of the Shou Sugi Ban timber that wraps about the entire facade.

The Shou Sugi Ban process renders the timber panels a deep charcoal-black with distinct lines of inherent textural uniqueness, and refers strongly to the artistic movement of Process Art, to which Serra belonged. The timber panels of the facade, in contrast to preserved mill scales of the steel plates of the sculpture, develop a natural patina with the course of time and weathering. The interior finish consists of hydrated lime plaster, eliminating the need for construction joints to create a smooth, uninterrupted gallery experience.

But the predominant material of the project is the space itself. Even Serra, who spent half a century experimenting with unconventional, industrial materials of rubber, neon and lead before his large-scale installations in steel, considered space to be his “primary material.”

Serra challenges the anthropomorphic space on this ground level; measuring seven feet high, the lower load-bearing plate inhibits the line of vision between the two galleries while retaining strong spatial relations between the two. Where an isolation would result from the convergence of vertical and horizontal elements, the open space just above the head brings an immediate awareness to the presence of the unseen side.