PHOTO CREDIT: FRANCIS DZIKOWSKI | ESTO.
3
RICHARD B. FISHER BUILDING OF THE BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC (BAM) When it comes to arts and culture, Brooklyn is part of the New York City scene with neighborhoods as distinctive as those of the Upper East Side or The Village in Manhattan. The addition of the Fisher building, at 312 Ashland Place, to BAM in 2012 augments its venerable Howard Gilman Opera House in the Peter J. Sharp Building and the 874-seat Harvey Theater built more the 20 years ago. It creates new artistic and outreach opportunities with its small 250 seat “black box” space which can be arranged in a flexible manner. The building will first be noticed for bringing energy to a dark and faceless block, the route from the modern Atlantic Avenue Subway stop to the lively BAM center. The creation of Fisher BAM, as it is known, saved the boarded-up historic citadel for the Salvation Army centered between the side walls of the old Willamsburg Bank Building which is now condos and the Gilman Opera House. In a transformation designed by architect Hugh Hardy, the graceful arches of the citadel were opened and glassed-in and new glass entrances added. Light pours out on the sidewalk and passers-by are captured by the colorful, dynamic mural by Brooklyn-based artist José Parlá that stretches across the 37-foot back wall of the open lobby. A pair of glass stairs brings light down to an informal space for community and educational uses on the lower level. The street-level structure is supported by a new seven-story addition that includes BAM facilities for rehearsals, offices, and classrooms as well as a glamorous roof deck with views of Brooklyn neighborhoods and the Statue of Liberty. Between September and January during the annual New Wave Festival, all BAM spaces are engaged in music, dance and drama. Tickets are $20 at the Fisher BAM which features artists, early in their careers, experimenting with new forms of performance. If you go: You don’t have to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge to find BAM. It’s a short express ride on Subway #2 or #3 to Atlantic Avenue. Good signs point you to Hanson Place and BAM. Cross the street and walk to your left to find Ashford Place. Be sure to save enough time to walk about five minutes in the opposite direction from Hanson Place to view the new Barclay Center, a huge impact on the Brooklyn scene. With its imaginative design and color scheme and unusual shape, it’s a big presence in the sports and entertainment world. www.bam.org.
MAY 20 1 3
URBAN AGENDA New York City
51