New York architecture firm REX has placed the last piece in the World Trade Center masterplan by unveiling its design for the Ronald O Perelman Performing Arts Center.
The Perelman Center, as it is better known as, was created as a significant cultural hub for the area, hosting theatre, dance, music, film and opera performances. REX composed a fittingly arresting design – a simple, pure orthogonal form clad in glistening translucent, veined marble.
Nestled between the WTC site’s towering high rises, the centre may at first appear relatively low and modest in comparison. Yet its design scope and ambition is anything but. The architects researched extensively to find the perfect form and orientation to fit the surroundings and site constraints. As a result, the new building is rotated and elevated to accommodate complex underground requirements and to work in harmony with the 9/11 memorial nearby.
The space is designed to host theatre, dance, music, film and opera performances
Its external simplicity is matched by a selection of robust, hardworking materials inside – steel walls, concrete trusses, wood floors, plywood panels – and a well thought out program to boot. REX aimed to create a centre that is flexible, functional and modern, able to accommodate even the most demanding performance requirements.
The layout is planned across three levels, explain the architects: ‘Public (bottom), Performer (middle) and Play (top)’. Within these, there are three auditoria, rehearsal areas, ample backstage and support areas for the performers, as well as public functions, such as a restaurant and bar, lobby lounge and information point.
Adding an injection of art and culture to what is arguably one of New York’s most important ongoing sites, the Perelman Center is scheduled to open its doors in 2020.
The Perelman Center has been created as a simple, pure orthogonal form clad in glistening translucent, veined marble
This new cultural hub for the area will be nestled between the WTC site’s towering high rises and the 9/11 Museum and Memorial nearby
The programme spans three levels, including three auditoria, rehearsal areas, and ample backstage and support areas for the performers
There are also several public areas, such as a restaurant and bar, lobby lounge and information point
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the REX Architecture website
-
In Norway, discover 1000 years of Queer expression in Islamic Art'Deviant Ornaments' at the National Museum of Norway examines the far-reaching history of Queer art
-
The Wilke is LA’s answer to the British pubIn the Brentwood Village enclave of Los Angeles, chef and restaurateur Dana Slatkin breathes new life into a storied building by one of Frank Gehry’s early mentors
-
Top 10 gadgets of 2025, as chosen by technology editor Jonathan BellWhat were the most desirable launches of the last 12 months? We’ve checked the archives to bring you this list of the year’s ten best devices
-
Step inside this resilient, river-facing cabin for a life with ‘less stuff’A tough little cabin designed by architects Wittman Estes, with a big view of the Pacific Northwest's Wenatchee River, is the perfect cosy retreat
-
Remembering Robert A.M. Stern, an architect who discovered possibility in the pastIt's easy to dismiss the late architect as a traditionalist. But Stern was, in fact, a design rebel whose buildings were as distinctly grand and buttoned-up as his chalk-striped suits
-
Own an early John Lautner, perched in LA’s Echo Park hillsThe restored and updated Jules Salkin Residence by John Lautner is a unique piece of Californian design heritage, an early private house by the Frank Lloyd Wright acolyte that points to his future iconic status
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthFrom wineries-turned-music studios to fire-resistant holiday homes, these are the properties that have most impressed the Wallpaper* editors this month
-
The Stahl House – an icon of mid-century modernism – is for sale in Los AngelesAfter 65 years in the hands of the same family, the home, also known as Case Study House #22, has been listed for $25 million
-
Houston's Ismaili Centre is the most dazzling new building in America. Here's a look insideLondon-based architect Farshid Moussavi designed a new building open to all – and in the process, has created a gleaming new monument
-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fountainhead will be opened to the public for the first timeThe home, a defining example of the architect’s vision for American design, has been acquired by the Mississippi Museum of Art, which will open it to the public, giving visitors the chance to experience Frank Lloyd Wright’s genius firsthand
-
Clad in terracotta, these new Williamsburg homes blend loft living and an organic feelThe Williamsburg homes inside 103 Grand Street, designed by Brooklyn-based architects Of Possible, bring together elegant interiors and dramatic outdoor space in a slick, stacked volume
