The Harlem School of the Arts (HSA) has been a gathering place for students of all ages to explore art, music and dance for more than 50 years. Early last year the Herb Alpert Foundation funded The Renaissance Project, an ambitious US$9.5m renovation to update the aesthetic and architectural footprints of the facility to meet the needs of Harlem’s next generation of artists and performers, as well as update the school’s performance spaces.

Imrey Studio was retained to lead the physical and aesthetic aspects of the project, with WSDG (Walters-Storyk Design Group) called in to lead the acoustic and A/V design.

Among the most critical elements of the redesign was the transformation of the school’s main lobby – the new 3,500sq-ft entrance is a welcoming space for aspiring artists. ‘HSA has always been an oasis on the inside, but that has never been fully reflected by our building’s exterior,’ explains HSA President, Eric Pryor. ‘To remain relevant within both our local community and the greater artistic community, the public needs to see who we are and what we do.’

In addition to WSDG’s John Storyk and Joshua Morris, the project team was a coalition of talents that included architect Eric Daniels, lead designer Celia Imrey, AVN Systems’ PK Pandey and Melanie Freundlich Lighting Design. The team transformed the room with a two-storey glass façade facing the street, allowing a large amount of natural light in the space as well as a view into the school’s activities and performances.

‘The new transparency of Dorothy Maynor Hall both literally and figuratively increases the school’s connection with the vibrant cultural community in Harlem,’ Imrey says. ‘By bringing the street in and the internal activities out, we set the stage for endless possibilities that until now have only been imagined.’

Accommodating the large space and glass wall required the design team to analyse all the contingencies to ensure that it would be easily adaptable as both a gallery and a multi-configurable performance space. WSDG used acoustic modelling software to simulate the new lobby and made recommendations for optimal acoustical designs and materials.

‘Much work was done in collaboration with Imrey Studio to preserve the look and feel of the space while ensuring optimal acoustic quality,’ Morris says. ‘We put a lot of thought into different use scenarios for the lobby and made sure to provide the school with the flexibility to present an extremely wide range of performances without requiring a large production support team.’

In order to guarantee optimal acoustics in the space, the design team recommended angling the towering glass wall, an approach that had been successfully engaged by the firm for the Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Controllable acoustic curtains were hung at the north gallery wall and between the performance area and entry area to provide the room with a ‘variable acoustics’ solution to enhance the reflective or absorptive requirements of the music being performed.

‘We needed maximum flexibility in how we could use the performance space,’ Pryor says. ‘The ability to ‘dial in’ the sound by opening or closing the curtains enables us to showcase performances of many sizes and styles here without any compromises in the sound quality of the space.’

The versatility of the space was a key part of the project, something that Pryor emphasises has long-term practicality for HAS: ‘Having a space will allow us to continue to evolve alongside the needs of our community and be at the forefront of arts and music education in the city. We’re very proud of what the design team was able to accomplish for us, and for the next generation of artists and performers.’

‘Herb Alpert has a real appreciation for the critical role that acoustical design plays in performance spaces based on his vast experience as a musician and recording executive,’ John Storyk says. ‘We were honored to have him reach out to us to be involved in this project, and to contribute to the rebirth of one of the most crucial arts education organisations in the city.’

More: www.wsdg.com