NEW YORK, NY.- With a display worthy of its spot just three blocks from the new Whitney Museum and the High Line, a large-scale gallery by The William Kaufman Organization launched a publicly-accessible art gallery within its 2 Gansevoort Street office building in the Meatpacking District.

An immersive contemporary art exhibition was unveiled inside the lobby of the landmarked, nine-story office property, situated at the intersection of West 13th, Horatio and Gansevoort Streets.

Upon entering the lobby, which is open to the general public, guests will encounter a floor-to-ceiling, 7-by-12-foot illuminated art portal on the sides of the entrance and on the ceiling, as well as a massive 18-by-11 foot panel behind the lobby desk. This configuration allows visitors to visually immerse themselves in incredible outdoor locales.

Hamburg-based independent photographer and artist Kevin McElvaney, who has shown his work internationally and is renowned for the “RefugeeCameras” project featured in VICE and The Atlantic, is the inaugural artist in what will be a rotating series of exhibitions of art that will be displayed in the gallery.

According to WKO CEO Jonathan Kaufman Iger, the real estate operator who is also the chairman of the Meatpacking District BID Board of Directors, the Gallery at 2 Gansevoort is meant to serve as a natural outgrowth and extension of the neighborhood’s cultural amenities.

“Our hope is that the Gallery at 2 Gansevoort will quickly become a “must-see” destination in its own right for those going to and from the Whitney, as well as others who are visiting the Meatpacking District on any given day,” he says. “We expect to open more people’s eyes to contemporary photography by displaying it in such an unorthodox and progressive space.”

Hamburg-based global art collective DerbeLight and architecture firm Fogarty Finger worked with WKO to design and reimagine the existing lobby space at 2 Gansevoort, which will display photography by contemporary artists on a rotating, six-month schedule. The ultra-high-resolution photographs are printed on a stretched white fabric and backlit by massive LED lightboxes mounted on the walls. Iger notes that the new technology gives the company the opportunity to work with local artists to showcase different types of prints in the future.

According to Iger, the exhibition also pays homage to the company’s longtime roots of integrating art into real estate. WKO is renowned for its signature style trademarks such as open public areas and distinctive artwork throughout its six-building, three million square-foot commercial portfolio. The company developed their first class-A commercial office building at 711 Third Avenue in the early 1950s, commissioning a mosaic mural designed by artist Hans Hoffman that encompassed the entire elevator core of the lobby, which is still on view today. WKO is also known for two iconic sculptures in the plaza areas of 777 Third Avenue: the “Big Red Swing,” an interactive pop-art sculpture by artist Theodore Ceraldi and “Contrappunto,” a rotating stainless-steel sculpture at the front entrance by Brooklyn-based artist Beverly Pepper.

Built in 1912 and originally designed as a warehouse and trade school, the 210,000-square-foot property at 2 Gansevoort was acquired by the William Kaufman Organization in 1948. Current tenants at the building include Theory, Ennead Architects, and Coronado Biosciences. As the owner/developer’s first purchase in the Meatpacking District, it was a notable addition to the company’s portfolio of ground-up class A buildings, which currently includes 777 Third Avenue, 767 Third Avenue, 437 Madison Avenue, 747 Third Avenue and 77 Water Street.

In addition to the new Whitney and the High Line, nearby points of interest include the Hotel Gansevoort, the Apple Store and the Standard Hotel. The building is easily accessible from seven major subway lines, crosstown buses and the PATH train.

The exhibition will be open daily, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.