Henry Miller’s Theater
Bank of America Tower 2009
Bank of America Tower 2009
The September opening of the new Henry Miller's Theater with the Roundabout Theater Company's revival of Bye Bye Birdie marks a notable occasion for New York City. The 1,055 seat theatre is the first entirely new Broadway theater built in the City in over twenty years.
Designed by Cook+Fox Architects in collaboration with theatre consultants Fisher Dachs Associates, the theatre at 124 West 43rd Street (constructed as a part of the Bank of America Tower at Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street) replaces an earlier theater of that same name on this site. The original had suffered decades of haphazard alterations, neglect, and damage during its years as a discotheque in the 1980's, and could not be saved. The new space will boast numerous amenities, not least of which is its soon to be status as the first green, LEED- certified Broadway performance space in New York.
In addition to meeting the criteria for LEED Gold certification, the theatre is designed to create the highest quality environment for audiences, performers, and production staff and to be a state-of-the-art performance venue.
The theatre is both forward-thinking in its design concept and respectful of the site's rich theatrical legacy. Henry Miller, an actor, producer and director active in the early part of the 20th century, built his theater in 1918, championed new American plays and wrote extensively about the need for intimate theaters to accommodate drama. Honoring Miller's vision of an intimate, shared experience of theatre – what he once called a "magnified drawing-room" - FDA has helped to shape the auditorium to create a direct relationship between actors and the audience. The room's geometry is based on a long Broadway tradition – a shallow curving balcony wrapping around to meet side boxes that step down to the stage to "wrap the performer in the embrace of the audience, which enlivens the space and fosters a real connection between actors and audiences" according to FDA Principal Joshua Dachs.
The idea of layers of time, and the transitions choreographed between them, provided a guiding concept for the design team. Centered on a low podium that seems to reduce the scale of two adjacent modern skyscrapers, the theatre's neo-Georgian, 1918 façade—a designated historic landmark—was protected in place throughout construction and has been restored to the highest state- and federal-level preservation standards. Behind it, Henry Miller's Theatre is an entirely new structure. Visitors will notice that certain historic elements have been preserved from the earlier building, including decoratively painted and richly patinaed doors, decorative moldings and ornamental medallions. The Owner and design team's sense of stewardship towards both historic and environmental resources will ensure that Miller's fascinating legacy continues to impress future generations of Broadway theatre-goers.
Owned by One Bryant Park LLC, a joint venture of The Durst Organization and Bank of America, N.A., the new Henry Millers theatre will be operated by Roundabout Theatre Company.
Designed by Cook+Fox Architects in collaboration with theatre consultants Fisher Dachs Associates, the theatre at 124 West 43rd Street (constructed as a part of the Bank of America Tower at Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street) replaces an earlier theater of that same name on this site. The original had suffered decades of haphazard alterations, neglect, and damage during its years as a discotheque in the 1980's, and could not be saved. The new space will boast numerous amenities, not least of which is its soon to be status as the first green, LEED- certified Broadway performance space in New York.
In addition to meeting the criteria for LEED Gold certification, the theatre is designed to create the highest quality environment for audiences, performers, and production staff and to be a state-of-the-art performance venue.
The theatre is both forward-thinking in its design concept and respectful of the site's rich theatrical legacy. Henry Miller, an actor, producer and director active in the early part of the 20th century, built his theater in 1918, championed new American plays and wrote extensively about the need for intimate theaters to accommodate drama. Honoring Miller's vision of an intimate, shared experience of theatre – what he once called a "magnified drawing-room" - FDA has helped to shape the auditorium to create a direct relationship between actors and the audience. The room's geometry is based on a long Broadway tradition – a shallow curving balcony wrapping around to meet side boxes that step down to the stage to "wrap the performer in the embrace of the audience, which enlivens the space and fosters a real connection between actors and audiences" according to FDA Principal Joshua Dachs.
The idea of layers of time, and the transitions choreographed between them, provided a guiding concept for the design team. Centered on a low podium that seems to reduce the scale of two adjacent modern skyscrapers, the theatre's neo-Georgian, 1918 façade—a designated historic landmark—was protected in place throughout construction and has been restored to the highest state- and federal-level preservation standards. Behind it, Henry Miller's Theatre is an entirely new structure. Visitors will notice that certain historic elements have been preserved from the earlier building, including decoratively painted and richly patinaed doors, decorative moldings and ornamental medallions. The Owner and design team's sense of stewardship towards both historic and environmental resources will ensure that Miller's fascinating legacy continues to impress future generations of Broadway theatre-goers.
Owned by One Bryant Park LLC, a joint venture of The Durst Organization and Bank of America, N.A., the new Henry Millers theatre will be operated by Roundabout Theatre Company.
