Much has been said about how Wallace Harrison tried—and arguably failed—emulating Oscar Niemeyer at Brasília, and Le Corbusier at Chandigarh with Empire State Plaza in Albany, New York.
The 98-acre complex stocked with state government buildings and convention centers is defined by terrazzo flooring, a reflecting pool, towers, bar buildings, a semi-sunken freeway, and what locals dub “the Egg,” a Brutalist performing arts center that’s hosted everything from concerts, debates, and high school proms.
Fred Basch Architect, a New York City office, started working on the Egg in 2018. Today, a major $20 million renovation there is nearing completion: The project entailed seating, carpeting, and lighting replacements in the theatrical and common spaces; new furniture lobby was inspired by Eero Saarinen’s TWA Terminal.
John Mesick, of MCWB Architects, an Albany firm, was also on the project team. Diane Eber, Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center executive director, and the New York State Office of General Services (OGS) steered the renovation. Eber told The Gothamist she wants to turn the Egg into an “arts vortex.”
The Egg’s renovation denotes the first major overhaul to the Brutalist building since its opening in 1978. Since its inception, Empire State Plaza where it stands has been met with mixed reviews.
Legend has it that former New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller got the big idea for Empire State Plaza after he was embarrassed one day showing downtown Albany to a Dutch princess.
Rockefeller wanted something more befitting for a megalomaniacal governor like himself, so he had a working class neighborhood called “the Pasture” demolished to make way for what’s been called a “Daliesque nightmare.”
Over 9,000 residents and 350 businesses spread across 40 city blocks were displaced to build the Empire State Plaza.
Paul Goldberger in 1976 decried Empire State Plaza as “a grandiose, utter folly” in The New York Times.
In Progressive Architecture, Martin Filler said the Empire State Plaza buildings “loom menacingly, like aliens from another galaxy set down on this marble landing strip.” Filler called the overall composition “a naive hodgepodge of barely digested design ideas” by Le Corbusier, Niemeyer, and even Albert Speer.
Michael Molinelli, a New York architect, also said Empire State Plaza has hints of fascist architecture, albeit of the Italian variety.
MCWB Architects has been involved in renovating the New York State Capitol—the H. H. Richardson– and Leopold Eidlitz–designed building facing Empire State Plaza—and its grounds by Frederick Law Olmsted for three decades.
Today, the Egg’s lighting is now a state-of-the-art fully LED automated system equipped for complex productions. Accessibility upgrades were also made to expand accessible seating sections and restrooms in the Lewis A. Swyer and the Kitty Carlisle Hart Theatres, which now both have induction loop assistive listening systems.
The Egg’s official reopening will take place Thursday, January 8. AN will follow up with more coverage of the renovation then.
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