The Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center has officially been revealed and will mark the final building to be added to the World Trade Center campus. The Perelman, named for billionaire Ronald Perelman thanks to his $75 million charitable donation, comes from REX, a Brooklyn-based architecture firm that won a competition for the opportunity to design the building back in November 2015.
The building may have the appearance of a large, solid marble cube that forgoes windows and any opportunity for natural light in order to provide the dark spaces required for a performing arts center, but looks can be deceiving.
The Perelman will allow natural light to penetrate its walls as the façade will be primarily made up of book-matched marble cut so thin it is translucent. During the day natural light will flow into the interior space, and at night light can escape, causing the building to emit a warm glow. Blackout shades will be used when necessary to block any incoming light.
According to Curbed, REX has proposed to obtain the marble, which will be laminated between two pieces of insulated glass, from the same quarry that the marble for the Supreme Court building and Thomas Jefferson Memorial was taken from.
The building’s interior is all about flexibility. There will be three performance spaces and seven movable acoustic walls that allow for 11 different configurations across the building’s 90,000-sf layout. The three auditoriums will vary in size, with the ability to hold 499, 250, and 99 people.
The building is expected to cost $250 million to build, $175 million of which has already been raised. The remaining funds will be raised through private donations with no money for the project coming directly from the city or state.
2020 has been earmarked as the building’s completion date.
You can watch a video showcasing the center and its flexibility below.
Rendering courtesy of Luxigon
Rendering courtesy of Luxigon
Rendering courtesy of Luxigon
Rendering courtesy of Luxigon
Related Stories
Industrial Facilities | Feb 27, 2015
Massive windmill will double as mixed-use entertainment tower in Rotterdam
The 571-foot structure will house apartments, a hotel, restaurants, even a roller coaster.
Architects | Feb 27, 2015
5 finalists announced for 2015 Mies van der Rohe Award
Bjarke Ingels' Danish Maritime Museum and the Ravensburg Art Museum by Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei are among the five projects vying for the award.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 25, 2015
Bjarke Ingels designs geodesic dome for energy production, community use
A new building in Uppsala, Sweden, will serve as a power plant during the winter and a venue for shows, festivals, and music events during the warm months.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 25, 2015
Edmonton considering 'freezeway' to embrace winter
If the new Edmonton Freezeway is constructed, residents will have an 11-km course that winds through the city and allows them to skate to work, school, and other city activities.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 20, 2015
‘Floating’ park on New York’s Hudson River moves one step closer to reality
The developers envision the 2.4-acre space as a major performance arts venue.
Modular Building | Feb 12, 2015
New shipping container complex begins construction in Albuquerque
The Green Jeans Farmery already has a hydroponic farm component courtesy of owner and entrepreneur Roy Solomon.
Architects | Feb 11, 2015
Shortlist for 2015 Mies van der Rohe Award announced
Copenhagen, Berlin, and Rotterdam are the cities where most of the shortlisted works have been built.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 6, 2015
Architects look to ‘activate’ vacant block in San Diego with shipping container-based park
A team of alumni from the NewSchool of Architecture and Design in San Diego has taken over a 28,500-sf empty city block in that metro to create what they hope will be a revenue-generating urban park.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 6, 2015
Under the sea: Manmade island functions as artificial reef
The proposed island would allow visitors to view the enormous faux-reef and its accompanying marine life from the water’s surface to its depths, functioning as an educational center and marine life reserve.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 5, 2015
5 developments selected as 'best in urban placemaking'
Falls Park on the Reedy in Greenville, S.C., and the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Downtown Market are among the finalists for the 2015 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence.