El Teatro Museo del Barrio
Katz Architecture had the privilege of restoring and updating El Teatro, the historic 600-seat theater of El Museo del Barrio. The landmark-quality interior features a proscenium arch stage, orchestra pit, art-deco details, and a remarkable series of 30-foot tall hand-painted murals by Willy Pogany depicting scenes from children's fables. Originally constructed in 1922, El Teatro served as a venue for numerous Broadway tryouts in the 1930s and was also the original site for the Joseph Papp New York Shakespeare Festival.
The restoration project involved the preservation of historic fabric, modernization of theater elements, installation of a new orchestra pit elevator, and extensive acoustic and audio-visual work, among other improvements. Today, the theater serves as an important museum and community asset, hosting film screenings, conferences, theatrical performances, and live music events.
Theater Consultant: Theater Projects Consultants | Conservation Consultant: Jablonski Building Conservation Inc. | Lighting Design: Lumen Architecture | Structural Engineer: Silman | MEP Engineer: IP Group | Owners Representative: HE2PD | Photography: David Joseph
Publication: Architectural Digest , Commercial Observer , Yahoo Finance and PROCO
“I had the pleasure of working with David and his magnificent team on the renovation of our beautiful theater, and several other projects . I can’t recommend them highly enough. They went above and beyond in delivering outstanding work, with attention to every detail and creative solutions that truly exceeded our expectations. Thank you for bringing our vision to life!”