The Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center, a $500 million addition to the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, won’t open until 2023. But its recently installed facade, composed of 4,896 panels of heavily veined marble, is already a sensation. The building, which overlooks the 9/11 Memorial, is a descendent of Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book Library (1963), designed by Gordon Bunshaft with a skin of translucent marble that gives its interior a spectacular glow by day and makes the building a beacon by night. Achieving a similar – but even bolder – effect at the much larger Perelman was a challenge for architect Joshua Ramus of REX, who worked with the facade consultant Front on the project. He talked to Fred Bernstein about what he calls “the long, beautiful story” of the facade.
Why did you want to wrap the building in translucent marble?
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.