BAM! Brooklyn landmark performing arts center gets a modern twist

The Brooklyn Academy of Music, America's oldest performing arts center in continuous use, has unveiled a dramatic 132-foot-long, undulating glass entrance canopy, the final piece of a five-year exterior restoration project.

Designed by H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture, New York, the canopy creates a light, contemporary structure that permits a clear view of the historic façade. The system is composed of 65 triangular panels of one-inch-thick laminated and tempered glass held in tension and supported by an 11½-inch-diameter, curvilinear stainless-steel tube.

The restoration project involved the re-creation of the building's 15-foot-tall parapet and colorful cornice, refurbishment of stained-glass windows, partial roof replacement, restoration of the terra-cotta ornamentation, and the addition of handicapped accessibility and enhanced exterior lighting.