NEW YORK THEATRE WORKSHOP, LARSON LAB

NEW YORK, NY

The building adjacent to New York Theater Workshop’s main theater, currently used for office space and rehearsal, is home to the latest round of renovations. A new entry, lobby and reception area for the administration building is proposed. A pattern of open and closed wooden shelving wraps wall surfaces, becoming a storage unit and a dramatic backdrop for the new reception.

The lobby opens into the new Larson Lab theater space, intended for readings, workshop performances and meetings. The flexible space encourages different orientations and arrangements despite its long proportions. Flat floor and stepped platform arrangements are designed for different types of uses and various sizes of gatherings. The enclosing surfaces provide warmth and variety to this workshop environment, while providing solutions to practical concerns. A natural wood screen absorbs and diffuses sound and hides mechanical ducts. Exposed brick and concrete visually anchor the opposite ends of the room.

New public bathrooms will be added in the basement, increasing current size and number of toilet facilities. New mechanical systems and an electrical upgrade, including provisions for theater equipment, will be added in addition to a new elevator which will be constructed as the next step in the implementation of the master plan.

Project Date: 2001
Cost: $1 Million