GUILD HALL ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF FACILITY-WIDE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT & CAMPAIGNTO BRING 1930s-ERA BUILDING INTO THE FUTURE
GALLERIES & GROUNDS REOPENING SUMMER 2023!
THE VISION
Guild Hall has served four generations and introduced audiences to the most storied artists and performers of our time. Now as we approach our centennial, we have embarked on a state-of-the-art renovation to match the caliber of our artistry for twenty-first-century audiences. Our facility-wide Capital Improvements Project & Campaign includes top-of-the-line physical and technological enhancements to better deliver our mission as an artist-driven, interdisciplinary institution. These comprehensive enhancements will see the structural and technological upgrade of Guild Hall’s grounds and near-century-old building — encompassing its museum, theater, education center, and administrative offices.
Improved flexibility and accessibility will meet the needs of Guild Hall’s diverse community of visual and performing artists, students, staff, and expanding seasonal and year-round community. Construction began in summer 2022, and the project is slated for partial completion in summer 2023, with the completion of the John Drew Theater expected by winter 2023/2024.
Our building at 158 Main Street is temporarily closed as we embark on these enhancements. During this time, our programming has moved to select off-site locations, with dynamic and unmissable events featuring local and international artists. In addition to offsite programs, our Teen Arts Council and Artist-in-Residence programs have expanded to new opportunities and showcases. To follow our progress and programs, sign up for our e-news here.
The $29 million Capital Improvements Project & Campaign includes dedicated capabilities for advancing the institution’s cutting-edge arts program and its vital reserve fund, to deepen and sustain Guild Hall’s excellence in interdisciplinary programming, thought leadership, education, and community engagement on the East End for current and future generations.
As of December 2022, we have reached 55% of our $29 million goal thanks to the generosity and support of our Board of Trustees and supporters like you.
General Information and Press Inquiries
Amy Steinhaus Kirwin, Chief Creative Officer / akirwin@guildhall.org / 631-324-0806 x24
THE TEAM
Among the star design team engaged in realizing the collaborative project are: leaders in the renovation and preservation of historic buildings Peter Pennoyer Architects, celebratedtheatrical consultants Auerbach Pollock Friedlander, and renowned New York-based Hollander Design | Landscape Architects.
Premier East End general contractor Ray Harden, co-owner of Ben Krupinski Builder, is leading project construction. Jon Maass and Pamela Torres are serving as owner representatives.
The design, construction, and advisory team also includes Akustiks, Conceptual Lighting, Arrowstreet, 2×4, Altieri Sebor Wieber, Gilsanz Murray Steficek, Leonard Ackerman, Esq., and Twomey Latham Shea Kelley Dubin & Quartararo, LLP.
Architect: PETER PENNOYER ARCHITECTS
PETER PENNOYER ARCHITECTS (PPA) is a 50-person firm of architects, interior designers, and related professionals based in Manhattan. Principal Peter Pennoyer is an expert on historical buildings and a regular on the AD 100 List. Founded in 1990, PPA is recognized as a leader in new construction, renovation, and historic preservation for residential, commercial, and institutional commissions across the United States and abroad. Their work is characterized by sophisticated detail, high quality craftsmanship, and a nimble balance between comfort, beauty, modernity, and continuity with the past.
Theater: AUERBACH POLLOCK FRIEDLANDER (APF)
Founded in 1972, AUERBACH POLLOCK FRIEDLANDER (APF) is a globally-recognized theatre design and audio-video consulting firm with an extensive portfolio of award-winning projects. The firm’s holistic approach to design lends itself to a wide range of projects that includes performing arts educational facilities, opera houses, professional repertory theatres, concert halls, museums and planetar- iums as well as popular entertainment venues in theme parks, casinos, cruise ships and night clubs. Our expertise is provided as part of a collaborative process with the larger design team. APF designs for a diverse audience with a diverse team of staff and owners. We have completed projects throughout the world and are adept at creating inclusive and culturally sensitive solutions. Our audience is the world, and we ensure that everyone feels welcome.
Our principals and staff have backgrounds in programming, planning and architectural design as well as hands-on experience in theatre production design, technology, media arts, sound, video and communication, technical management, and scenography. This depth of experience enables APF to provide comprehensive, innovative design and superior technical solutions that respond
to the needs of the end-user while providing the architect with the flexibility to develop their vision. The firm can provide services in initial planning and programming, theatre space design, specification of all theatrical and audio-video systems as well as construc- tion administration services
During initial project phases, we engage with the users, operations staff and management to understand their aspirations and con- cerns and develop solutions that are economically feasible and operationally beneficial.
We take the same approach with audience so that we can create spaces that educate, entertain, are patron friendly for various demographics and form lasting positive memories.
Landscape: HOLLANDER DESIGN|LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
HOLLANDER DESIGN | LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS is a New York-based firm known for designing estates and gardens around the world. Principal Edmund Hollander is recognized for finely crafted landscapes from the Hamptons to Hong Kong. The firm has recently completed the new award-winning additions to The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, as well as the Winter Visual Arts Center at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. The firm’s talent comprises 25 landscape architects, environmental planners, and horticulturists working across three offices in New York City, Sag Harbor, and Chicago. The firm’s approach to a site’s natural ecology, its architectural ecology, and its human ecology — meaning the ways in which people will use the property — creates places of enduring beauty that respect and connect with the surrounding environment.
Construction: BEN KRUPINSKI BUILDER
Stratton Schellinger and Ray Harden became owners of BEN KRUPINSKI BUILDER (BKB) in 2018 having worked with the firm for 31 years and 16 years respectively. With a track record for hands-on project management, the long-time associates have been instrumental in growing BKB into the region’s premier builder and general contractor. Priding themselves on achieving the finest results, they share a mutual passion for delivering consistent excellence to each client and every scope of the project.
Owner’s Rep: Jon Maass & Pamela Torres
JON MAASS is an architect, builder, and maker of things. Jon received degrees from the University of Michigan and the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York, where he was amongst the first recipients of the Menschel Fellowship. His history of designing and building structures informs and supports his work as an owner’s representative, helping numerous cultural institutions realize new mission-driven projects and restore important cultural touchstones. His work is process driven, emphasizing proper planning at the project’s outset and relentless pursuit of its stated goals. Past clients include the Toledo Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the Morgan Library and Museum in New York, the Gustav Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, Smith College in Northampton, MA, and the Museum of Nebraska Art.
PAMELA TORRES has a master’s degree in Advanced Building Technology from SUNY Buffalo New York and holds a Bachelor of Science in architecture from the University of the Philippines. She is an architect who worked on a wide range of projects with architecture and design firms in New York, Miami, Boston, Shanghai, and San Francisco before transitioning to owner’s representation and project management. Notable experience includes the SANAA-designed Grace Farms community place in New Canaan, Connecticut, and the exterior restoration of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.
THE PLAN
The Interior and Exterior
Create an environment that is welcoming to the community and maintains Guild Hall’s place as the preeminent cultural institution on the East End. To help decrease energy consumption, the Capital Improvement Project also includes optimizing our HVAC system to enhance control, airflow, and energy efficiency throughout the museum, theater, and operational spaces. The priority placed on optimal visibility, improved access, and efficiency will be done without detracting from the character of the historic structure.
The Theater
Bring the theater’s functionality up to contemporary performance needs while maintaining key elements of its historic design. This includes, for instance, the restoration of the stage’s scalloped proscenium frame, part of the theater’s original design by Aymar Embury II and only recently uncovered during structural exploration. The theater’s much-beloved circus-tent ceiling motif and iconic balloon chandelier will remain; non-original elements including moldings and wallcovering will be updated to more closely reflect the theater’s elegant 1930s design.
The flow of the theater will also be restored by the removal of non-original doors at the entrance to the theater corridor. In a nod to Embury’s original architecture, columns will be reintroduced in the lobby, recreating the graceful procession from the entrance arcade of the building, through the house of the theater. Space previously taken up by boxes and the technical control booth at the rear of the theater will be repurposed to allow for easy and fully accessible circulation. The plan will implement a new seating arrangement that captures prime orchestra seats, adds greater row-to-row depth, offers broader and more comfortable seating, and enhances sightlines through an increased floor rake.
Notably, the plan includes new technical systems throughout the theater and support spaces, including a relocated control booth in the balcony. The project’s theater consultant Auerbach Pollock Friedlander (APF) has an extensive portfolio that includes Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Gilman Opera House and Harvey Theatre and Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall. APF’s plan will advance all audio-visual technologies, lighting, and acoustics for the demands of Guild Hall’s all-embracing performance types.
The Museum
Enhance the museum experience for artists and patrons through state-of-the-art sound, LED lighting, and the innovative repurposing of the building’s original framing to harness the effect and maximize control of natural light — all upgraded to ensure greater sustainability and versatility. Accessibility to the galleries will be improved as Guild Hall’s front outer doors will be adjusted to meet the gallery climate control requirements and maximize energy efficiency while honoring the beloved exterior.
Also planned is the creation of Guild Hall’s first discrete, dedicated art-handling facility to support installation, packing, and temporary storage of artworks, a recommended feature as a formally accredited member of the American Alliance of Museums.
The Education Center
Outfit with the latest technological tools to enhance education and training in twenty-first century creative skills for local youth. The space, which will now have a dedicated entrance, will be utilized for art workshops and drop-in classes for students of various ages and experience levels, as well as by Guild Hall’s Teen Arts Council (TAC). The TAC is a paid, academic-year-long mentorship and apprenticeship program for teens to foster skills in the fields of contemporary art, nonprofit management, museum and theater practices, and community engagement.
The Staff Offices
Modernize offices to be more energy efficient with a sleek and contemporary design, plus improved airflow and natural light, to create a thriving, collaborative environment that is representative of new directions in professional work spaces.
Campaign Contributors
View List
Michele and Martin Cohen
Nancy and Howard Marks
Baron Capital Foundation Louise and Howie Phanstiel Tom Roush and LaVon Kellner
Susie and Michael Gelman Linda Lindenbaum
The Hilaria and Alec Baldwin Foundation Pamela and Edward Pantzer
Toni and Seth Bernstein Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg Cornelia and Ralph Heins Barbara and Richard S. Lane Sondra and David S. Mack Susan and Morris Mark Galia Meiri-Stawski and Axel Stawski Alice Netter The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation Fern and Lenard Tessler Kenneth L. Wyse
Treva and David De Leeuw Suzanne and John Golden Bruce Horten and Aaron Lieber Ellen Marcus
Mary Jane and Charles Brock The Frankenthaler Climate Initiative of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Ellen Myers James S. Peterson Foundation Lisa Schultz Schultz Family Foundation Renée and Richard Steinberg Kathleen Walsh and Gene Bernstein
Bonnie and Joel Bergstein
The Joe & Hellen Darion Foundation Susan and Richard A. Friedman Susan Jacobson Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder Ralph E. Lerner Jeffrey and NancyJane Loewy Cheryl and Michael Minikes Charlotte Moss and Barry Friedberg Sheri C. Sandler Saunders & Associates
Peggy and Henry Schleiff Cindy and John Shea Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Linda and George Yates
Amagansett Wines & Spirits Jane Bayard Kay and Albert C. Bellas James and Lisa Cohen Peter Frey and Carrie Shapiro Elizabeth Hogbin Richard Kurtz and Trish McEvoy Joyce Menschel Fred Schmeltzer
Anonymous Patricia Abramson Gary Adamek, in memory of Ruth Appelhof Zac and Cindy Allentuck Renée and Robert Belfer Stanley and Roberta Bogen Lauren Etess Florence and Richard Fabricant Lori Gendelman Joan and David Genser Jeffrey and Nancy Halis John Hill Phyllis Hollis Barbara and Mel Immergut Roberta and Paul Kozloff Martin and Madge Miller Helen Kent-Nicoll and Edward Nicoll Nancy Lou Oelbaum Kimberly L. Pressman and Nicholas G. Boulukos Sally and Jim Rothkopf Jeffrey and Audrey Spiegel Laurie and Phillip Sprayregen Andrea and John Stark Volunteers of Guild Hall Janet and John Winter Peter M. Wolf Andrew Yuder
Anonymous Arlene Blau David Blue Jennifer and Joe Brondo Nancy Carter and Stephen Lapidus Nancy Chemtob and Michael Kubin David and Sheila Cornstein Diane and William Dreher Cheryl and Ken Endelson Sara and Charles Fabrikant Marjorie and Stephen Fiverson Margaret Garrett and Bruce Wolosoff Marsha and Richard Goldberg Mary and Jay Goldberg Carla Goldworm Charles Gottesman Nadine Grelsamer Adrienne and Kenneth Haber Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hershaft Barbara Hochhauser Pat and John Hossenlopp Arthur Indursky Ellen Jaffe Ruth and Steven Katz Kenneth Kay Francine Kittredge Richard and Phyllis Krock Larry Leeds and Ginger Feuer Ellen Levy Phyllis and William Mack Jill Marino Joan and Ken Miller Virginia C. Panossian Darrel and Susan Ross Eric and Harriet Rothfeld Richard and Barbara Rothschild David Rudnick Jean S. Scharf Amy and Robert Schlager Patricia Schneider Sanford Sirulnick Robert and L. Judith Snyder Joanne and Joseph Stein Meryl Taradash Dianne Wallace Penny and John Wallerstein
In-Kind Leonard Ackerman, Esq. Amagansett Wine and Spirits Ben Krupinski Builder Twomey Latham Shea Kelley Dubin & Quartararo, LLP.