New looks at Brooklyn’s glorious Paramount Theater

The revamp of Brooklyn’s Paramount Theater officially kicked off earlier today and will restore this Fort Greene icon to much of its original grandeur. The renovation is being carried out by BSE Global, the same firm that runs the Barclays Center, and Long Island University, which used to run its athletics center within the theater building.

This restoration and renovation will now recreate the space as a 3,000-seat venue for music, comedy, sports events, and private programs for students at Long Island University. The revamped theater will have a flexible seat arrangement which will allow for the space to be used for a variety of events.

Some of the changes that will come about as a result of this renovation include moving the entrance to the original location at the corner of Flatbush and Dekalb Avenue, a loge level balcony and box office will be reestablished, and the renovation will also make improvements to the restrooms, lightning, and sound system.

News of the groundbreaking on the revamp is also accompanied by several new renderings of the space, which give us a glimpse of both the interior and exterior, and how the theater might operate during different types of events. The H3-designed renovation is expected to last one year, and the theater is slated to reopen mid-2019.

“The refurbishment of the LIU Paramount Theater is a major milestone in the history of Long Island University,” LIU President Kimberly Cline said in a statement. “It brings our commitment to the arts-and our role in the arts community to an entirely new level for our students, faculty, and alumni, and solidifies our role as a major cultural driver in Brooklyn.”

In its original run as a theater between 1928-1962, the Paramount Theater was a live performance venue that saw shows by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, and Buddy Holly.

Source: Curbed New York

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