Brooklyn 30 Lafayette Avenue Communicatio ns Department Academy Brooklyn NY 112 17- 1486 Sandy Sawot ka of Telephone: 718.636.4111 Melissa Cusic k

Music Fax: 718.857 .2021 Fateema Jones Tamara Mccaw Kila Packett 7 18.636.4 129 press@bam .org NewsRelease BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC ANNOUNCES MAJOR EXTERIOR RESTORATION PROJECT

HARDY HOLZMAN PFEIFFER ASSOCIATES SELECTED AS ARCHITECTS

Brooklyn, March I, 2002- The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) has announced the first major restoration of its historic building exterior , with work to begin in March 2002. Designed and overseen by the architectural firm of Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates (HHPA) , with preservation consultant Building Conservation Associates , the project is slated for completion in March 2004. BAM's building at 30 Lafayette Avenue is owned by the C ity of ew York and its $8.6 million restoration project is funded through the New York City Department of Cu ltural Affairs with support from the New York City Council and the Brooklyn Borough President. Additional fund ing is also being provided by the New York State Office of Parks , Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Key elements of this major capital project include restoration of the terra-cotta ornamentation , reconstruction of the parapet and cornice (removed for safety reasons almost 50 years ago), replacement of cracked brickwork and lintels , handicapped accessib ility, part ial roof replacement , refurbishment of stained -glass windows , cleaning of the fac;ade, and the addition of an undulating , 130 foot -long glass entrance canopy. Exter ior lighting and signage will be enhanced and hand rails wi ll be added to the main entrances.

"BAM is thriving and a cultural district is emergi ng in the neighborhood," stated BAM President Karen Brooks Hopkins. "This is the ideal time to restore the home of America's oldest performing arts ce nter, and HHPA is the firm that can take on that challenge. We have an architectural jewel in our midst and we see its refurbishment as yet another symbol of the continued revitalization of Brooklyn ."

The Brooklyn Academy of Music was founded in 1859. Its original home on Montague Street was destroyed by fire in 1903. BAM 's current home , at 30 Lafayette Avenue , was completed in 1908 by architects Herts and Tallant , the premier theater architects of that period . Its eclectic Beaux A11s style is also seen in other He1ts and Tallant designs in New York C ity - the ( 1903, restoration by HHPA in 1997) and the Lyceum Theatre (1905) , for example. The BAM bui lding features polychrome terracotta and is finished in light-colored brick . The main entrance opens on to Lafayette Avenue with five large doub le doors embellished with cherub figures. Five correspo ndin g double-height , arched windows extend

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BrooklynAcademy of Music BAM Exterior Restoration 2 across the second floor fa9ade. Restoration will reclaim the original building's elaborate terra -cotta cornice, set with 22 full -sized lions' heads , complete with red tongues. The BAM building was designated a New York City Landmark in 1978 .

Unfortunately , decades of wear and decay have taken their toll. A survey of the exterior conducted in 1998 unc overed a much higher level of deterioration than previously suspected . This project seeks to correct and restore deteriorating building elements , to repair potentially dangerous conditions, and to restore BAM's resplendent exterior.

In the past decade , Hardy Holz111an Pfeiffer Associates has worked on the design and i111plementation of significant capital improvements to the BAM campus: the transformation of the under-utilized Helen Carey Playhouse into the four-screen BAM Rose Cine111as, the creation of the second-floor BAMcafe perfor111ance spac e and restaurant - both within the 30 Lafayette Avenue structure- and the restoration of the Harvey (for111erly Majestic) Theater at 651 Fulton Street.

"Re storation of BAM's historic exterior will complement the 111anyimprove111ents that we have accomplished within this Brooklyn landmark ," said , FAIA , founding patiner , Hardy Holz111an Pfeiffer Associates. "When complete , the renewed fac;;ade will be a testament to BA M's significance in the cultural life of the City."

The Brooklyn Acade111y of Music (BAM) is recognized internationally for its innovative programming of dance, 111usic, theater , 111usic-theater and opera , serving nearly 400 ,000 people annually . In addition to presenting leading national and international a1iists , BAM identifies and suppotis the work of ground-breaking , contemporary artists in the performing arts with its Next Wave Festival , one of the world's most impotiant festivals of contemporary performing arts - marking its 20 th anniversary season in the fall of 2002 . BAM also serve s New York City's diverse population through a wide variety of educational programs. Its role in the communit y has recently been expanded by the creation of BAMcafe and BAM Rose Cinemas .

Established in 1967, Hardy Holzman pfeiffer Associates (HHP A) is an internationally recognized architecture , planning and interior design fir111with offices in New York and Los Angeles. Highly respected for so111eof the country's 111ostnotable architecture, HHPA is particularly well known for its design of buildings for public use . Since its inception , the fir111has designed such culturally vital and technically co111plex buildings as theaters , concert halls , libraries , educational facilities, and 111useu111sthroughout the United State s. New York projects include the restoration of and the New A111sterdam and New Victory theaters (the latter of which are credited for sparking the revitalization of 42"d Street); conversion of a for111ermovie house into the Joyce Theatre and of a two -story parking garage into the Dance Theater of Harlem.

Co ntact: Sandy Sawotka: Director of Communications , BAM / 718 636 4129 / [email protected] Deborah Kirschner: Director of Public Relations , HHPA / 212 677 6030 / dkirschner(a),hhpa.corn

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