Brooklyn College, Leonard & Claire Tow Performing Arts Center Expansion
Brooklyn, New York

Pfeiffer Partners has designed a major addition to the Brooklyn College Performing Arts Center. The addition not only includes performance and rehearsal spaces for the music and theater departments, it also creates a new front door and image for the entire campus. The new Center includes a 64,000-sf addition to the existing Whitman Hall and features a 200-seat flexible stage performance space with variable acoustics; rehearsal rooms for orchestra, choral and theater; a state-of-the-art recording studio; the Pima Center for Computer Music; music studios and practice rooms; and a scene shop. A gracious lobby, envisioned as a venue not only for pre- and post-performance gatherings but also for campus-wide receptions and special events, welcomes visitors, students and staff alike. In addition, building materials, systems and finishes have all been selected with environmental sustainability in mind, making this the first \"green building\" on campus. In the expansion, a new landscaped quad and courtyard is created; replacing an existing asphalt amphitheater is a grassy courtyard featuring sculptures, benches and sitting areas. A small plaza adjacent to the Center offers opportunities for both impromptu gatherings as well as organized events. Beyond the courtyard, the landscaped quad of large trees and greenery includes additional seating. To create the site for this new facility, the existing Gershwin Hall is to be demolished, temporarily relocating the Music and Theater programs. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2010.