Imrey Studio LLC

The Renaissance Project converts Ulrich Franzen’s brutalist-style 1970’s facility on St. Nicholas Ave near W141st, into a welcoming and vibrant community hub. The new designs accomplish an essential tenet of the institution’s mission: interaction and exchange through the arts. The project replaces the brick exterior with a large swath of clear glass, bringing the beautiful interior and courtyard garden into view from the street. The renovated facility thus invites connection between the neighborhood and the activity within. This dramatic design gesture reinforces the goal of soprano Dorothy Maynor (1910 – 1996), who founded the school, to make art accessible to everyone.

The project also transforms the lobby into a high-tech gallery/performance space, calibrated by renowned acoustical engineering firm, WSDG. The designs support a wide range of dynamic exhibitions, performances, and events in the HSA’s hallmark double-height atrium, now named Dorothy Maynor Hall. In addition to creating a warm, welcoming, performance-ready building, the new construction resolves safety and code compliance concerns of the existing facility as well as making imminent necessary repairs to the building core such as a new roof and windows throughout. Legendary musician/ philanthropist Herb Alpert and his wife, Grammy Award-winning vocalist, and author, Lani Hall Alpert funded the full project cost of $ 9.5 million dollars through the Herb Alpert Foundation.

Architect of Record: Eric K. Daniels, Architect, P.C

Links to web content:
∙ Architectural Digest - 2022
∙ Metropolis Magazine - 2021
∙ Azure Magazine - 2021
∙ ABC EYEWITNESS NEWS: TV network video
∙ PIX11 TV network video
∙ New York Times - 2020
∙ New York Times - 2019
∙ AIA New York
∙ New York Yimby
∙ the Herb Alpert Foundation

Lead Design:
Imrey Studio LLC; Celia Imrey, AIA Assoc., Principal; Julia Gallagher, AIA, Project Architect; Greta Hansen, RA, Project Architect for SD and DD; Drew Busmire, Lucia Eastman, Doug Manowitz, Jessica Morris,

Design Team
Architect-of-Record; Eric K. Daniels Architect PC; Eric K. Daniels AIA, Principal; Richard Bressani, Project Manager. ekdnyc.com

Structural Engineering: Gedeon GRC Consulting; Melbourne A. Garber, C. Eng, Director of Building; Serge Roux, EIT, Structural Engineer; Yu Chen Liu, Junior Structural Engineer. gedeongrc.com

Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Safety Engineering: SRW Engineering & Architecture; Orah Weisberg, Principal; Rudi Eadie, Project Manager; Eufracil Perez, Electrical Engineer; Liliya Kazak, Plumbing and Sprinkler Engineer. srw-eng.com

Acoustical and Audio-Visual Engineering: Walters-Storyk Design Group (WSDG); Founding Partner, John Storyk, Partner; Joshua Morris, Partner, Project Manager, Federico Hugo Petrone, Systems Engineer and Jonathan Bickoff, Acoustic Engineer WSDG.com

Lighting Design: Melanie Freundlich Lighting Design; Melanie Freundlich, Principal; Anne Cheney, Senior Project Designer. mfldesign.com

Façade Consultants: Steven Winter Associates, Inc.; William Zoeller, RA; Andrew Piedl; James R. Gainfort Consulting Architects PC; James Gainfort AIA. swinter.com

Graphics and Wayfinding: Lil’ Icon, Team: Rajiv Fernandez. Lil-icon.com

Security Consultant: Shen Milsom & Wilke LLC; David Goetz, CPP PSP, Senior Consultant, Security smwllc.com

Cost Estimating: Pete & Company LLC; Peter Federman, RA Ret., NCARB, AIA, Associate. peteandcompany.com

The design team is composed of over 85% woman/minority-owned firms.