Perelman Performing Arts Center
The Perelman Performing Arts Center, branded as PAC NYC, is a multi-space performing arts center at the northeast corner of the World Trade Center complex in Manhattan, New York City. The Performing Arts Center is located at the intersection of Vesey, Fulton, and Greenwich Streets in Lower Manhattan. The building is named for billionaire Ronald Perelman, who donated $75 million to its construction.
Perelman Performing Arts Center
Completed
United States
August 31, 2017
September 13, 2023
$275 million
138 feet (42 m)
Plans for the Performing Arts Center were first announced by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) in 2004 as part of the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site after the September 11 attacks. After a previous design was scrapped, Joshua Ramus and Davis Brody Bond were selected as architects in 2015. Below-ground construction began in August 2017, followed by the construction of the above-ground frame in 2020. The center, known during construction as the Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center, opened on September 13, 2023. The Performing Arts Center includes approximately 90,000 square feet (8,400 m2) across three floors.
Opening and operation[edit]
Construction manager Sciame Construction conducted various tests and installed finishes on the center in mid-2023,[41] in advance of a scheduled opening on September 15, 2023.[42][43] A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Perelman Performing Arts Center was hosted on September 13, 2023, two days ahead of schedule. The first public performance was scheduled for September 19.[44][45] The venue had cost $560 million in total.[46] Kamara stated that her mission was to convince visitors to travel to the World Trade Center for entertainment purposes.[47] The center, branded as PAC NYC,[48] planned to host dance, film, music concerts, opera, and theatrical productions.[23][48] The Metropolis restaurant, operated by Marcus Samuelsson, opened at the Performing Arts Center in November 2023.[49][50]
During its initial season in 2023–2024, PAC NYC hosted performances such as Trinity Church Wall Street's concert series Refuge;[51] a piano recital by Mahani Teave;[51] and Tamar-kali and Marc Bamuthi Joseph's opera Watch Night.[52]
Operation[edit]
Since 2022, Khady Kamara has been PAC NYC's executive director.[39][40] Former mayor Michael Bloomberg is the chairman of PAC NYC's board of directors,[57] while Bill Rauch is the artistic director.[27][28] PAC NYC's inaugural artistic advisers included Murielle Borst-Tarrant, Ty Defoe, Wendall Harrington, David Henry Hwang, Lisa Kron, David Lan, Joe Melillo, Nico Muhly, Lynn Nottage, Arturo O'Farrill, Jason Samuels Smith, Sonya Tayeh, Julie Taymor, Ivo van Hove, Alexandria Wailes, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar.[58]
Reception[edit]
When the Performing Arts Center was completed, architectural critic Justin Davidson described the structure as holding "the spotlight on a highly visible stage, offering spectacle without garishness".[59] Peter Marks of The Washington Post wrote: "The windowless, marble-clad structure sits on the Ground Zero site like a giant sugar cube. Or more aptly, perhaps, like one in a pair of massive stone dice."[47] According to The New York Observer, "The Perelman, in all its grandeur, is more than just a venue—it's a beacon of potential, further amplifying New York's prominence in the global arts scene and standing as Manhattan's fresh fountain of creativity."[1]
The Performing Arts Center has received multiple design awards, including the Society of Registered American Architects New York, Special Award for Innovation in Cultural Architecture, 2022; American Institute of Architects New York, Honor Award in Projects, 2022; The Chicago Athenaeum American Architectural Award, 2021; Architizer A+ Awards, Winner in the Unbuilt Cultural Category, 2019.[60]
