We are excited to announce the upcoming launch of a renovation project tied to our mission of access to the arts for all. Construction, led by Li/Saltzman Architects, will result in key upgrades to the center’s architecture that will support our values of inclusivity, transparency, and accessibility.

Abrons Arts Center is widely regarded as a case study for the role that architecture can play in facilitating access to the arts for a diverse community. Originally built as the Arts for Living Center–an extension to Henry Street Settlement’s historic Neighborhood Playhouse–the center was designed in 1975 by architect Lo-Yi Chan of the firm Prentice & Chan, Ohlhausen. In collaboration with an intergenerational cohort of local residents, the firm developed a design for a new kind of urban arts center for the 20th century, one that would serve a wide array of needs and interests of local and visiting communities.

“Abrons Arts Center and Henry Street Settlement are excited to build on the dynamic architecture of the center to further increase access to our services for the community,” says Ali Rosa-Salas, vice president of visual and performing arts at Henry Street Settlement. “This is an opportunity to have our values be borne out by our physical space.”

“We are making Abrons Arts Center, which is a significant cultural resource in our city, more sustainable, accessible, and adaptable for its 21st century life,” says Judith Saltzman, founding principal of Li/Saltzman Architects.

This renovation project is made possible with transformative capital support from the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, whose $2 million gift to Henry Street Settlement will help resource the construction. In acknowledgement of their support, the renovated Amphitheater will be named the Miriam and Harold Steinberg Plaza.

“We are grateful that the Steinbergs have positioned Henry Street Settlement to deepen our service to the Lower East Side through arts and culture,” says David Garza, president & CEO of Henry Street Settlement. “With their investment, we will be able to build upon the important legacy of the Arts Center and develop new models for creative expression, place making, and community belonging.”