Renderings from Stillman Development International

To transform the previously dormant Times Square Theater into a 52,000-square-foot retail hub that honors the legacy of the iconic building, Shawmut Design and Construction is completing the removal of  the historic plaster ceiling dome, proscenium arch, sail vault, and box seats, which will be conserved and restored off-site. In the new building the team will construct, these elements will be reinstalled on the third and fourth floors, with the newly-restored plaster proscenium arch, box seats, and dome tied together by the sail vault.

In the next phase of the project, the team will brace and hydraulically lift the façade by five feet, preserving and restoring the limestone columns, façade, and sgrafitto. They will create a cantilevered glass box, which will project over the 42nd Street sidewalk and encase the restored colonnade.

Excerpt from Curbed New York

It’s been almost a year since we last discussed the revival of historic Times Square Theater, which is undergoing a major $100 million renovation after being vacant for thirty years.

The Neoclassical structure, located at 215 West 42nd Street, was built in 1920 by DeRosa and Pereira and is being renovated by Beyer Blinder Belle—a firm with extensive knowledge of historic renovations—and converted into a 52,000-square-foot retail space by Stillman Development International.

Several historic details will be preserved including the building’s Indiana limestone facade and sgraffito details. As far as its interiors, construction firm Shawmut—part of the renovation team—has removed and will reinstall a large plaster ceiling dome and sail vault. According to Untapped Cities, the last remaining cast iron gate on the facade will be restored off-site by John Tiedemann, Inc., which also worked on the Woolworth Building restoration.

Read more from Curbed New York’s article, “Checking in on Times Square Theater’s revival project” here.