The Armory's Future

In The Long Term

Park Avenue Armory is a treasure waiting under the cover of grime and deterioration to be discovered by New Yorkers:

It contains the finest set of intact 19th Century interiors in the country by such important artists as Louis Comfort Tiffany, Stanford White and the Herter Brothers; the building was listed by the World Monuments Watch as one of the 100 most endangered sites in the world, along with Machu Pichu and Angkor Wat
It offers one of the largest column-free spaces in the City, a magnificent hall with lacy truss-work and soaring dimensions that has hosted not only drills but music festivals, concerts, benefit dinners, balls, theatrical events, fashion shows, and even the laying in state of such notables as Louis Armstrong

Restoration

The goal of the Conservancy is to restore and renovate the Armory and create a cultural venue like no other in the City with magnificently restored period rooms and artistic work that celebrates the cavernous, open Drill Hall.

The restoration of the period rooms and the Drill Hall will be to the highest standards and will include metal work, glasswork, decorative painting and stenciling, woodwork and masonry, involving many artisans and experts. The building will be brought up to fire, building and energy codes and made handicapped accessible. The heating, plumbing and electrical systems will be replaced. Patron amenities will be substantially improved, and support spaces created to complement the programming.

Programming

Once the building is restored and renovated, the Conservancy plans a range of programming that including art exhibitions, performing arts and art and antique fairs as well as lectures, talks and educational and social programs that reach out to a broad base.

The Drill Hall has the potential to be a unique cultural venue in New York. In London, there is Turbine Hall and the Roundhouse; in Paris, the Grand Palais and the Cartoucherie; and in Venice, the Arsenale. But in New York, there is no large open interior space where artists are free to create at scale without the restrictions. Because of this lack, there is work by important artists that does not come to New York. The possible availability of the Drill Hall has created tremendous excitement and anticipation:

“The Armory provides a unique space for artists and curators to mount exhibitions that could not be done anywhere else in New York City.”

- Adam Weinberg, Director, Whitney Museum of American Art

“There is no venue in New York City that has the potential creative flexibility that the Armory possesses. At a time when artists are searching for unconventional spaces and initiating large-scale mixed media projects, the Armory would fill a huge void in the City.”

- Harvey Lichtenstein, Director Emeritus, Brooklyn Academy of Music

Art and antique fairs will also continue to be an important component of the Armory’s programming, attracting thousands of visitors to the City every year.

In the Administration Building, the Conservancy is planning docent-led public tours; exhibits related to the military, social and cultural history of the building; public lectures and talks; small performance events such as chamber music improved visitor and greatly improved amenities.

Social Programs

The Conservancy is committed to broadening the reach of the Armory. The staff is working on a Youth Corps to introduce high schools students to the arts and a public high school curriculum built around the Armory as a “historic preservation laboratory”. The shelter for homeless women run by Lenox Hill Neighborhood House under license to the City of New York will remain in the Armory and be renovated as a model shelter. The Conservancy is working with Horticultural Society’s Green Team and the shelter residents on a landscaping project around the perimeter of the building. The Conservancy is also working with the Doe Fund.

In The Short Term

The design and programming for the new Armory will be in the planning stage for the next three to four years. During this time, in addition to planning, the Conservancy will focus on improving the operation and maintenance of the building; managing building-generated traffic; bringing the public through the Armory; and undertaking a series of smaller projects to improve the condition of the building such as the planting of the perimeter beds; the cleaning and restoration of the front entrance including the massive doors and bronze gates; and the renovation of the restrooms in the basement.

If you would like to know more about our plans in the short and long term, please contact Kirsten Reoch at kreoch@armoryonpark.org