The City Planning Commission recently approved the $100 million renovation of the historic Studio 54 theater at 254 West 54th Street in Midtown, Manhattan. Designed by Ennead Architects and Rockwell Group, the project will reconstruct the stage and orchestra seating section to improve sight lines, accessibility, and audience comfort. Other modifications will include the expansion of the lobby and front- and back-of-house areas, modernization of building systems, and revisions to exterior signage. The venue, renowned for its incarnation as an exclusive nightclub in the late 1970s, has been operated by Roundabout Theatre Company since 2003. The property is located between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.
Plans call for the demolition of the flattened stage floor to restore the orchestra pit, which has been covered since the theater’s conversion to a TV studio in the 1950s, followed by the construction of a new raised stage and sloped orchestra seating section. The revised lower level will include ten ADA-compliant seats and an expanded capacity of 556. According to Time Out, the renovations are expected to reduce the theater’s overall capacity from 1,006 seats to around 990.
In addition, the project will relocate the bar and retail space and renovate the bathroom facilities. A new elevator serving every level will also be installed.
The renovated Studio 54 theater. Rendering courtesy of Ennead Architects & Rockwell Group.
The renovated Studio 54 theater. Rendering courtesy of Ennead Architects & Rockwell Group.
The renovated Studio 54 theater. Rendering courtesy of Ennead Architects & Rockwell Group.
The vestibule will be outfitted with restored mirrored walls and chandeliers.
The renovated Studio 54 theater. Rendering courtesy of Ennead Architects & Rockwell Group.
The exterior will get new Roundabout company signage featuring the Studio 54 nightclub logo above the existing marquee.
The renovated Studio 54 theater. Rendering courtesy of Ennead Architects & Rockwell Group.
The building originally opened in 1927 as an opera house. CBS acquired it in the 1950s and repurposed it into a television film studio where shows like What’s My Line?, Captain Kangaroo, Password, The Jack Benny Show, and The $64,000 Question were recorded.
In 1977, Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell purchased the theater and converted it into Studio 54 nightclub, with the former TV sound stage adapted into a dance floor. Though operating for just 33 months, from April 1977 until February 1980, the venue achieved enduring worldwide fame and notoriety as a hangout for A-list celebrities including Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli, and Bianca Jagger. Following its shuttering in the wake of Schrager and Rubell’s conviction for tax evasion, the club reopened under new ownership and continued operating in various forms until 1996.
Roundabout took ownership in 1998, returning it to use as a theater with the Broadway musical Cabaret. It has since gone on to host more than 30 other Broadway shows, including the current running revival of The Rocky Horror Show.
The following diagram from NYC Planning details the timeline of structural changes made to the venue.
Image courtesy of NYC Planning.
Roundabout plans use its permits to transfer off-site development rights as a means of funding the renovations to the 99-year-old venue, and has been raising additional capital through the Next Stage Campaign. The company has reportedly already raised $45 million, and is seeking another $30 million from the City along with additional funding from the State.
A Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) in now underway for the venue with further details to be disclosed later.
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