The New York Landmarks Conservancy is delighted to offer its Professional Circle members an exclusive tour of the 92NY Buttenwieser Hall with EverGreene’s Kim Lovejoy, Senior Business Development Executive, and Katharine George, Conservator, and Steve McHale, Principal, of Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners (BBB).
While the 92nd Street Y has been located on 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue since 1900, it wasn’t until 1929 that the current 92NY building was constructed. Buttenwieser Hall originally served as a worship space, but has been repositioned into a multi-use space for education and performances.
This project is an early phase of a renovation campaign emerging from BBB’s master plan for the 270,000-SF, two-building complex, aiming to make the facility more flexible to allow for programmatic change over time. Phases related to The Arnhold Center will include the conversion of an office suite into new dance studios, conversion of a dormitory floor to administrative workspace, and improvements to the fitness center.
BBB’s redesign includes a highly flexible “black box” theater with a flat floor to accommodate a greater range of performances and events; telescoping seating for improved sightlines and greater capacity; and upgraded acoustics, AV equipment, and infrastructure—all contemporary insertions juxtaposed against the historic ceiling, repaired by EverGreene. The dance center is supported by patron and performer amenities, and united by a lobby, newly infused with daylight, whose aesthetic sets the stage for a new era for 92NY.
EverGreene was contracted to perform the ceiling restoration in early 2023, which started with mockups of concrete patching and decorative paint restoration. Following mockups, our team completed concrete patching at areas of deterioration to arrest further decay, removal of anchors and equipment using compatible materials and tooling to match the faux bois texture. EverGreene then did an overall surface cleaning, consolidation to stabilize the paint, varnish to provide a consistent sheen, and inpainting at seven locations of significant damage and visible paint losses using modern paints to match the historic colors and sheen.
