The Gere Block is a historic factory in West Syracuse, New York, that now functions as an art gallery. There, a handful of architects, educators, designers, and artists have staged a group show, Animals, that weighs in on adaptive reuse in rust belt cities, like Syracuse. Animals features works by Ayesha Ghosh, Edgar Rodriguez, Laura Salazar, Lauren Scott, Magdalena Valdevenito, Pablo Sequero, Rocio Crosetto, and Juan Balsa. All of these participants contributed to small scale interventions scattered throughout Gere Block, interventions which the curators quite literally call animals in their project statement.Many of the installations are coated in lime green paint. (Anna Morgowicz/ESTO)Curators note that these animals are meant to activate the former factory building by enabling diverse uses, from small gatherings to performances. These installations were assembled with a variety of materials like steel brackets, and wood, but theyre unified by the lime green paint that coats them, making the exhibition extra brat. This is all meant to challenge visitors to reconsider the factory buildings potential, and that of Syracuse more broadly.Economical materials were used for the group show.(Anna Morgowicz/ESTO)The decision to host Animals at Gere Block is a fitting one, given its own past. At first, Gere Block was a warehouse, servicing boats on the Erie Canal. Then it was used to produce fire trucks and paint. You can still see slivers of the buildings limestone foundation, and its tattered walls bear witness to stagnation in Syracuses de-industrialized economy since the Nixon era. All of this makes Gere Block a fitting choice to host the show, and function as a center for conversation about the rust belts past, present, and future.The animals are mobile, utilitarian objects made from reclaimed on-site materials like shelves and wooden structures, curators said.Foliage abounds at the group show. (Anna Morgowicz/ESTO)(Anna Morgowicz/ESTO)Disassembled, cleaned, painted, and reassembled, these pieces reinterpret architectural elements such as platforms, walls, benches, pyramids, curtains, and columns, curators continued. The interventions prioritize minimal impact on the building, fostering a flexible, temporary use during its renovation phase. This approach, curators said, was a cost effective and inclusive model that could be a case study for utilizing former industrial spaces in towns like Syracuse.The curators of the show assembled in the gallery space. (Anna Morgowicz/ESTO) The group show was supported with a grant from New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Architectural League of New York.A second iteration of the exhibition will open in April 2025.