New York – A design of translucent marble and glass was unveiled Thursday for a long-stalled performing arts center at the World Trade Center complex.
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Officials also announced that Barbra Streisand will serve as board chair of the Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center that will be dedicated to producing new works and serving as a public space.
Located between One World Trade Center and the memorial plaza, the cube-shaped center will aim to both commemorate the Sept. 11 tragedy and reflect the vitality of New York City, board members said from a room overlooking the project site.
Made out of translucent, veined marble and glass, the building will look like a “mystery box,” architect Joshua Prince-Ramus said. During the day, it will have a dull sheen. But at night, the three-level building will illuminate like a paper lantern.
The 99,000-square foot building will include three auditoriums and a rehearsal room.
Because artistic directors need flexibility with new productions, the rooms and halls will feature moveable walls to create up to 11 configurations, Prince-Ramus said. The largest configuration will hold up to 1,200 people for events like rock concerts.
Maggie Boepple, president and director of the center, said the space will be both a “birthplace” for new shows and a community center with amenities like a cafe and yoga classes.
The center also will be home to the Tribeca Film Festival.
Estimated to cost $250 million, the center still requires $75 million in donations before it opens in early 2020, Boepple said. Namesake Ronald Perelman, a billionaire businessman and Streisand friend, already donated $75 million in June. The federal Housing and Urban Development Authority has already contributed $99 million.
The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, a city and state government entity, gave the project the green light.
Board members have not yet determined which productions will be staged.
“Anyone who works here will have a huge responsibility to do their very best to commemorate those whose lives were lost,” Boepple said.
When was the last time anyone in Manhattan built with good ol’ red brick?