By Gus Saltonstall
Symphony Space announced on Monday a $45 million renovation project that will close its Upper West Side building until 2028.
The arts organization, located at 2537 Broadway, between West 94th and 95th streets, will temporarily close for construction by the end of this year and then re-open in 2028, but did not specify either date.
During the closure period, Symphony Space will perform programing at pop-up venues across New York City. The Upper West Side arts organization has not yet announced the locations where those events will take place.
“We are reshaping and reimagining our home in a way that aligns with our core values and underpins our commitment to being a vibrant, inclusive, and welcoming space—one that supports artists across disciplines and generations, opens our doors wider to communities across New York City and beyond, and invites everyone to participate,” Kathy Landau, the executive director of Symphony Space, said in a news release.
The work will include renovations to both the Peter Jay Sharp Theater and the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater, which will feature improved seating options and enhanced acoustics, along with an updated version of its marquee sign on the front facade. Inside the building, the renovations will also focus on adding multiple flexible spaces suited to performances, screenings, classes, readings, exhibitions, gatherings, and more.
In terms of the project’s funding, Symphony Space has raised 82 percent of the $45 million needed to complete the work. The city has committed $15.5 million to help with the renovation.
“Symphony Space is one of New York City’s most treasured cultural institutions, and this renovation will ensure it continues to bring world-class programming and community connection to our neighborhood for generations to come,” Upper West Side Councilmember Shaun Abreu said in a news release. “I was proud to support city funding for this project because places like Symphony Space are what make New York City’s cultural life so extraordinary.”
The timeline of the renovation is planned so Symphony Space can reopen in 2028 in celebration of its 50th anniversary.
Here are more renderings of what the renovated space will look like.
You can find out more about the renovation project — HERE.
Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.
Bad news for nearby restaurants. I was in Buceo 95 a couple of weeks ago at 6:00 p.m. and it was packed with people dining before a Symphony Space event. And while it might be good news in the long term. It’s bad news for the neighborhood in the short term– one more dark empty building to walk by at night.
Please restore the original reverse parabolic seating to the Thalia. Once a treasure of the Upper West Side
Oh, my. Yes. It was unique, for sure.
“Reverse parabolic seating” refers to a specific, often historical, arrangement of seats in a theater or auditorium, designed to optimize viewing angles and intimacy with the stage, typically characterized by a curved, bowl-like shape
. It is often remembered in intimate, older venues, such as the Thalia theater in Symphony Space.
Design Purpose: It creates a curved seating layout that often brings seats closer to the center, improving sightlines compared to traditional straight rows.
When I was growing up in the 1960’s, Symphony Space was a movie theater, called The Symphony.” I clearly remember seeing a double feature there, “Yours, Mine and Ours” and “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians are Coming”. I miss it that theater. I also miss when the Beacon Theater was a movie theater. I saw “Yellow Submarine” there in junior high or high school. I miss the movie theater on 72nd and Broadway, but can’t recall the name. I saw ” Word is Out” there, in my 20’s, and “Lianna”.
Now that I am less spry, I am glad to be able to watch so many things while at home, but there’s nothing like seeing a movie with an audience.
The Embassy at 72nd and Broadway– With the turnstile. UWS desperately needs real movie theaters.
“the movie theater on 72nd and Broadway”
That would be the Embassy 72nd Street Twin 1 and 2 at 2089 Broadway (1938–Aug. 28, 1988). I ran into Isaac Asimov & Janet Jeppson there while attending a rally to protest its impending closing, obviously to no avail. Look for a few photos of it in the “Throwback Thursday” archives.
to ecm, thank you!
I hate change, was good for me and affordable.
A long wait! This was a place I could easily get to and see wonderful performances Damn! I liked how cozy it was. By 86th & Bway- looks like a desert- closed, boarded up places. Depressing. Now this.
Metro under construction until 2030, Symphony under construction until 2028. Very bad news for the already depressed area.
Not opening for four more years? Seriously?
It’ll never be the Thalia it used to be to watch movies like in the 1960s 1970s
Nothing ever is as it was! Change is a fact of life. Relish it and enjoy cuz life is short and can be so sweet!
Do you suppose that after the renovation, there might be regular screenings at the Thalia? I hope so… movies have been given short shrift there since the old Thalia closed.
Anyone else still have their old printed Thalia (and Film Forum) screening schedules?
I’d welcome the return of their Science Fiction Film Week (anyone else remember it?), a feature one might expect from a venue with “Nimoy” in its name.
This article ( along with the more fleshed out one in today’s -3/31- NYT’s) only points the very difficult situation that performing arts spaces face in today’s world of streaming.
The amounts of monies needed are staggering just to bring it up to current functional standards.
Gone are the days when the founders “passed around a hat” and presented 12 hours of free Bach music. This venue would have closed long ago had it not been for the prolonged Dan Zane and other children sing-a-longs concerts presented there for years. As it is, why wasn’t this addressed when the air rights where sold some 20 years plus ago, a brand new building was build around the theater, and the complex was renovated then?
So, viewed in this context, the reoccurring news (dream) that the Metro theater will reopen- totally rebuilt from scratch in a completely empty building- seems very unlikely.
Sadly, it’s 2026 and the world has moved onto other priorities. ( You all breathlessly watched the FX series “Love Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette” right?)
Perhaps it’s time to consider other programming choices and ideas that reflect our time that still challenge ( not pander to) an audience and don’t require an unending infusion of public money.
We absolutely need to keep NYC’’s cultural life alive, but at what cost? Waiting for donors looking for a “naming opportunity” seems unrealistic.
“You all breathlessly watched the FX series ‘Love Story…’ right?”
No.
Never even heard of it.
There goes the neighborhood…
Really?! $45 million to turn a perfectly charming (if old) space into yet another ultra-modern Tribeca- or Soho-style space? Obviously, if the space is dilapidated or unsafe, I would not want it to remain so. But I’m SURE they could have done the renovations and repairs in such a way as to keep the “charm” of the spaces without turning it into a boring modernist space. And they almost certainly could have done it for less than $45 million.
This is a waste of money. Count me among the unimpressed – and sad.
So…the 2002 renovation wasn’t quite future-proof. I get it. But will miss the option for great arts programming while it’s under the knife, so to speak.
Seems like it will be a nice renovation but do they really need to spend 45 million? The Metro is doing their complete build out of a raw empty space for 28 million. And even that is suspect if the Metro can raise that money along with their annual operating expenses.
Also the city is kicking in 15 million to Symphony Space when there are huge budget deficits seems like not a wise way to spend taxpayer funds.
The spikes outside Symphony Space send such a nasty message that I stopped being a member (after many years) despite living right down the block.
Someone told me a long standing problem is that the cooling system for when it was an ice rink is still under the floors and is failing.
If I recall, when they planned the apartment building above Symphony Space, they had the chance to completely rebuild the theater. Instead they insisted the building was to be built above it, preserving the original structure. I wonder if they regret that now?
The interior design is beautiful and inviting. The glass walls look nice, but your energy bills will skyrocket, which undoubtedly impact ticket prices. And we all know how dirty NYC windows get, so you will constantly be cleaning those floor to ceiling windows. With climate breakdown rapidly increasing, we need to conserve energy, not waste it. Surely a creative architectural designer could envision an attractive exterior, perhaps with smaller windows at various locations, giving people outside an assortment of interesting views.