This Friday, the Louis Armstrong House Museum will open a new cultural center at 34-40 107th Street in Corona, Queens. Known as the Louis Armstrong Center, the new facility is located across the street from the original museum and will feature a 75-seat performance venue, rotating exhibition space, and a 60,000-piece permanent collection of photographs, recordings, manuscripts, and other personal effects.
Designed by Caples Jefferson Architects, the two-story building comprises 14,000 square feet and sits between two single-family homes. The massing of the structure resembles a giant piano and features an undulating glass façade with black ornamental fins, a large metal canopy above a second-floor terrace, and a green roof with modest landscaping.
The building is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification.
Exhibition space inside the new Louis Armstrong Center in Corona, Queens
“This is a landmark moment for the Louis Armstrong House Museum,” said executive director Regina Bain. “Standing on the shoulders of the jazz and community greats who have come before us, the new Louis Armstrong Center invites today’s musicians, neighbors, and global fans to discover Louis and Lucille Armstrong’s story from a new perspective. We will bring the Armstrong’s unique archives alive through new interactive events.”
The center will be open to the public Thursdays through Saturdays.
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CBS Sunday Morning did a nice segment on this and you can find it on YouTube.
A lot of people today have no idea what different oppressed groups had to go through to get the rights now being gutted by a corrupt court.
Yeah that was a good spot. Gotta love how he told hotels if he couldn’t stay he wouldn’t play. Love Satchmo.
Anything that honors Louis Armstrong is great ! “Giant Piano”?..OK.
I had been to Armstrong home before this new structure was formally approved. Much enjoyed – this should certainly draw more visitors.
No doubt, this new structure hurt the prices of adjacent homes — I expect they were adequately compensated before this project began. Will check it out soon.