After nearly 50 years, the 74 East 4th Street home of La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club needed significant improvements to support the organization's growing international profile. Beyer Blinder Belle expanded patron and performer amenities by creating a new ADA-accessible lobby, all-gender bathrooms, and expanded dressing areas at ground level. By lowering the first-floor ceiling, the second-floor performance venue, "The Club," gained higher ceilings, floating floors for acoustic isolation, and space for state-of-the-art theater equipment. Diversified events and community programs are supported by a new multipurpose studio, outdoor terrace, and staff offices on the third and fourth floors, and by new broadcast technology that can stream any event worldwide.
Historic preservation balanced the landmark building's character with contemporary safety and accessibility requirements, and exposed materials evoke the organization's history and ethos of creative freedom. The restored facade was illuminated to impart a theatricality to the building at night, heralding the renewal of a cornerstone of the city's—and the world's—theater community.
Client
Location
Size
Completed
Construction Cost
Certification
People
Team
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Jean-Guy LecatTheater Design
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CharcoalblueTheater/Acoustic Design
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Severud AssociatesStructural
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Rodkin Cardinale Consulting EngineersMEP/FP/FA Consultant
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Cline Bettridge Berstein Lighting DesignLighting
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Harvey Marshall Berling AssociatesAV/IT
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RPO IncorporatedCode/Life Safety
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Altanova, LLCSustainability
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Sierra Consulting GroupVertical Transportation
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Yorke Construction Corp.Construction Manager
Press
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15 Mar 2023
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09 Feb 2023
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01 Feb 2023
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27 Apr 2023
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10 Feb 2023
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09 Feb 2023
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04 Apr 2023
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21 Feb 2023
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09 Feb 2023
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03 Apr 2023
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02 Jun 2023