Brooklyn, NY

The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), originally designed by architects Herts & Tallant, is America’s oldest performing arts center. As part of its overall renewal plan, our firm designed and implemented several significant capital improvements to upgrade and enhance audience experience. These include: adaptation of the building’s original circulation patterns, returning the second-floor to public use; creation of the BAMCafe as the primary lobby space, through the introduction of a new escalator connection (Phase I); and transformation of the underutilized Helen Carey Playhouse into four cinemas (Phase II).

Enhanced food and beverage service, new toilet facilities, and expanded phone service have been added at the BAMCafe level. Its restoration now allows for public spaces to be used for gala parties, live music performances and a restaurant/cafe. A new shop and retail stations allow patrons to conveniently purchase books, compact disks and BAM souvenirs.

The conversion of the Helen Carey Playhouse into a four-screen cinema provides a venue for BAM’s expansion into independent film. Its reconfiguration preserves the architecturally significant features such as the ornate plaster proscenium arch, coffered ceiling and existing inner lobby area with arched entry vaults.

Two cinemas (103 and 155 seats) were created at street level and two larger ones (272 and 230 seats) at the mezzanine level. State-of-the art sound and projection equipment allows for a variety of film formats.

CLIENT: Brooklyn Academy of Music
COMPLETION: 1997 (phase 1) 1998 (phase 2)
SIZE: 16,000 square feet (phase 1) 14,000 square feet. (phase 2)
COST: $5 million (phase 1) $5 million (phase 2)