Bloomberg unveiled the design for the museum at a press conference and said the city had pledged $6.2 million toward construction of the theater, which he said would make the borough of Brooklyn an even greater destination for tourists. The rest of the construction cost will be raised by BAM.
The glass and stainless steel theater was designed by Hugh Hardy and Frank Gehry and will be constructed opposite the historic Brooklyn Academy of Music in the borough's Fort Greene section. Other vacant and unused properties in the area are being converted into space for various arts organizations.
Kate D. Levin, the city's cultural affairs commissioner, said she expected the theater to be built within two years. It will be the first cultural building to be completed by Gehry, one of the nation's leading architects, in New York and will have an undulating marquee as its chief Gehry flourish. He also is designing a performing arts center at the World Trade Center's ground zero in Manhattan.
Brooklyn to get new $38 million theater
The Theater for a New Audience, which produces Shakespeare and classical drama, is getting a new $38 million theater, it was announced Tuesday.The facility will be the linchpin of the $680 million Brooklyn Academy of Music Cultural District.Mayor Michael R.