Upgrades to outdated theatrical equipment—such as the addition of new catwalks and a control panel with a fully motorized lighting and rigging system—freed up floor space and provided increased wing room to facilitate a wider range of productions. Improvements to the theater space also addressed auditory issues. Acoustical sealing at all doors helped eliminate excessive noise from adjacent spaces and the street. By symmetrically reshaping the interior walls and adding acoustic panels to the ceiling, the redesign also ensured better sound projection from stage to audiences. The project team isolated the control booth from the theater and equipped it with the best technology available. These improvements allow the sound crews to more effectively communicate with performers, support stage activities with video projections and enhance the viewer experience.
Creating better accommodations for audiences—a longstanding, limiting factor for the Billie Holiday Theatre—included the removal and replacement of old, too-narrow seats, the addition of accessible, comfortable new seating and improvements to circulation. The more-efficient theater layout meant the seat count could be increased from 191 to 200 while a ramp now connects the lobby, backstage area and the stage. Reconstruction of the theater also extended from the backstage to the basement with the creation of new support facilities like an enhanced green room and additional, shower-equipped dressing rooms. The new dressing rooms are accessible, more spacious and bright. Better access to the stage is now possible with the addition of a wheelchair lift.
Theater as Gift
The renovation work improved support spaces and vital infrastructure throughout the building, too. A new sprinkler deluge system and fire alarm that communicates with the base building alarm “dramatically improve life-safety,” according to MBB Project Manager Jose Miranda, who also notes that lighting was brought up to code to facilitate safe circulation and egress.
Other extensive improvements made to the theater’s infrastructure include new boilers and several new air-conditioning units that work with the building’s existing geothermal system, reducing energy consumption by 25 percent and significantly improving sustainability for the organization. The project team also installed a new connection to the municipal water main for the advanced, standalone fire suppression system.
Throughout the renovation process, the project team sought small but meaningful ways to highlight the venue’s history and importance to the community, says Murphy. “During early reconstruction, the contractor uncovered a wall blanketed in original, faded performance posters,” Murphy recalls. “It was such a perfect expression of how history is layered into the theater, so the project team proposed scanning the posters and printed them as a custom wallcovering.” Now lining a hallway that leads to the green room, this thoughtful touch helps bridge the past to the present and cements the theater’s role in the community.
After an official grand reopening in spring 2017, the newly revived Billie Holiday Theatre hosted its first full-run performance later that year. The verdict is clear, and it reflects the value of a sensitive approach to restoring important community spaces: “The beauty of the theater is a gift to the audience,” Etwaroo says. “But in many ways, it’s also a gift to the artists who can now expand the worlds that they’re building.”
Retrofit Team
Architecture and Interior Design: Murphy Burnham & Buttrick Architects,
New York
- Jeffrey Murphy, FAIA, partner in charge
- Jose Miranda, AIA, project manager
Project Owner: Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp., New York
Client Representative: New York City Department of Design & Construction
Structural Engineer: CRAFT Engineering Studio, New York
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer: Plus Group Consulting Engineering, New York
Acoustics: Lally Acoustical Consulting, New York
Theater Design: Auerbach Pollock Friedlander, New York
Cost Consultant: Pavilion Financial Corp. (formerly Slocum Consulting), New York
Code Consultant: William Vitacco Associates, New York
Materials
Acoustic Ceiling Tiles: Armstrong Ceiling and Wall Solutions
Carpet: Tandus-Centiva and Interface
Fabric Curtains: KM Fabrics and Rose Brand
Glazed Ceramic Wall Tile: Daltile
Handrails: Julius Blum and McMaster Carr
Laminate: Formica
Paint: Benjamin Moore
Porcelain Floor Tile: Casalgrande Padana
Wood Flooring: Maple plank flooring
Vinyl Floor Tile: Azrock from Tarkett
Wood Panels: Rulon International
PHOTOS: Francis Dzikowsk/OTTO (unless otherwise noted)