The Union Square East building opened in 1929 to house the corrupt political machine Tammany Hall may undergo a gut renovation and get a few modern additions. The building's owners, Liberty Theaters, Inc., have brought on BKSK to imagine how to modernize and reconfigure the building. The firm's solution? Add a 30-foot-tall glass dome in place of its slate mansard roof. To be fair, the dominating glass dome is but one of the proposed updates, reported by DNAinfo, to the landmarked structure. Others include demolishing an interior theater to make room for retail and office space. In all, the changes would add 27,000-square-feet of space to the building. If the plans pass muster with the Landmarks Preservation Commissionthe structure was given the distinction just last Octoberthe building's facade will be restored and amped-up with larger glass windows its glassiness will be toned down.
The plans for the renovation were presented to Manhattan Community Board 5 this week and were unanimously rejected. DNAinfo reports that the CB was largely concerned with the removal of the roof and the plan to nix some decorative terra cotta placards on the building's exterior. Despite the CB's distaste for the proposal, it'll be the LPC's decision, on November 18, that will decide the building's fate.
[UPDATE: A previous version of this story mis-stated that the glass dome would be 85-feet tall. With the addition of the dome, which is 30 feet tall, the building will stand at 85 feet. Also, BKSK has reached out to clarify that their proposal reduces the amount of storefront glass rather than expands on it. Curbed regrets the error.]
· Glass Dome Could Rise Over Union Square's Landmarked Tammany Hall [DNAinfo]
· All 100 East 17th Street coverage [Curbed]
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