ARCIS: impenetrable bunker for art opens in Harlem, New York

In Harlem, New York, a state-of-the-art storage facility for art called ARCIS has opened. Conceived after Hurricane Sandy devastated Chelsea galleries in 2012, the 10,000-square-meter bunker is designed to protect artworks from natural disasters and climate change. It is directed by engineers Tom Sapienza and Kevin Lay, who have decades of experience at the Whitney Museum and Van Gogh Museum. ARCIS operates as a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ), allowing goods to transit with simplified procedures and no customs duties. Access requires iris recognition, vascular scanning, and a badge. The facility is powered by a gas generator to handle power outages. Sapienza stated that the bunker emerged from a desire to safeguard assets during a market boom, while Lay emphasized that climate change is real and ARCIS's technology can adjust conditions to protect works.