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| BAM Peter Jay Sharp Building | |
|---|---|
| Name | BAM Peter Jay Sharp Building |
| Location | Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York City |
| Opened | 1999 |
| Owner | Brooklyn Academy of Music |
| Architect | Hugh Hardy |
BAM Peter Jay Sharp Building is a theater complex in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, operated by the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The building serves as a hub for performing arts organizations and festivals, hosting dance, theater, music, and film presentations connected to institutions such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. It is associated with cultural figures and events including Peter Jay Sharp, Toni Morrison, Spike Lee, and the Next Wave Festival.
The complex emerged from initiatives by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Rockefeller Foundation, and philanthropists like Peter Jay Sharp to expand BAM's downtown campus alongside the BAM Harvey Theater and BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. Planning involved collaborations with the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and civic leaders from the City of New York and the State of New York, following precedents set by cultural projects at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art. The opening in 1999 followed renovations tied to broader urban revitalization efforts in Fort Greene, aligned with projects by the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn College, and the Brooklyn Rail community arts movement. Early seasons featured co-productions with institutions such as Lincoln Center Theater, The Public Theater, and the Juilliard School.
Designed by architect Hugh Hardy in partnership with firms experienced with the Woolworth Building and the New Amsterdam Theatre, the structure reflects influences from architects Frank Gehry, I. M. Pei, and Renzo Piano through its integration of performance spaces and public areas. The design unites material choices and sightline engineering akin to work at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the Walt Disney Concert Hall, while addressing urban planning concerns prominent in projects by Robert Moses-era initiatives and Jane Jacobs–inspired community advocacy. Acoustic consultation drew on specialists with credits at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and the Berlin Philharmonie. Exterior and interior detailing reference practices used at the Guggenheim Museum and the Brooklyn Museum.
The building houses multiple theaters and support spaces used by ensembles such as the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Bang on a Can, and the Mark Morris Dance Group, mirroring venue models seen at the Apollo Theater, New York City Center, and the Brooklyn Academy's own Howard Gilman Opera House. Backstage amenities are comparable to those at the Metropolitan Opera, Radio City Music Hall, and Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater. Rehearsal studios serve choreographers and directors from institutions like the Martha Graham Center, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Merce Cunningham Trust. The complex accommodates touring companies similar to those who appear at Sadler's Wells, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, and Théâtre du Châtelet.
Programming at the site has included festivals and series in collaboration with the Next Wave Festival, Prototype Festival, and the Dance Theater Workshop, commissioning work from artists linked to organizations such as the Sundance Institute, PEN America, and the National Dance Project. Productions have involved directors and creators associated with Robert Wilson, Peter Brook, Anna Deavere Smith, and Phyllida Lloyd, featuring music by Philip Glass, John Adams, and Kronos Quartet, and choreography by Merce Cunningham–influenced practitioners. co-productions have been presented alongside Gotham Chamber Opera, HERE Arts Center, and the New York Philharmonic’s outreach programs. Film screenings and multimedia events have connected to the Tribeca Film Festival, BAMcinemaFest, and the NewFest programming networks.
Renovation work has been informed by preservation approaches used at the Brooklyn Academy and cultural institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum, the Frick Collection, and the New York Public Library, often funded through campaigns akin to those mounted by the Ford Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Capital projects included upgrades comparable to acoustic retrofits at Carnegie Hall, ADA accessibility improvements seen at the Metropolitan Opera, and technological overhauls similar to installations at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Expansion discussions engaged stakeholders from the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and neighborhood civic groups including the Fort Greene Association.
The complex has contributed to Brooklyn's cultural ecology alongside institutions like the Brooklyn Museum, Barclays Center outreach, and the Brooklyn Children's Museum, participating in community initiatives tied to arts education programs from the New York City Department of Education, DreamYard, and UrbanGlass. Its presence influenced neighborhood development patterns comparable to the effect of St. Ann's Warehouse, the Brooklyn Academy's historic programming, and the renewal seen in DUMBO and Williamsburg. Partnerships with universities—including Brooklyn College, Pratt Institute, and New York University—have fostered internships and residencies modeled after university–cultural center collaborations such as those at Columbia University and Yale School of Drama.
Artists and groups who have appeared include choreographers affiliated with the Mark Morris Dance Group, companies connected to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, ensembles like the Kronos Quartet, and soloists reminiscent of visits by Yo-Yo Ma and Laurie Anderson. Directors and theater-makers akin to Robert Lepage, Peter Brook, and Julie Taymor have presented work, while filmmakers and cultural producers in the vein of Spike Lee, Ken Burns, and Agnes Varda have taken part in festivals and screenings. Benefit galas and fundraising events attracted patrons and donors comparable to those who support Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, and visiting companies from institutions such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, Comédie-Française, and Berliner Ensemble have contributed to the venue's international profile.
Category:Brooklyn Academy of Music Category:Fort Greene, Brooklyn Category:Theatres in Brooklyn