As the city's only convention center starts to grow, so do the number of event venues nearby. Ampersand Studios launched last week and, like other sites in the area near the Javits Center, offers a flexible gallery-like space with room for runway presentations, performances, and seated functions.
Measuring 5,200 square feet, the ground-floor studio is marked by polished concrete floors, white walls, and 15-foot ceilings. Drive-in access allows for convenient load-in and the ability to showcase vehicles indoors, while a basement-level production area provides room for storage and staffers. Lighting and audiovisual production are handled by in-house vendor Bentley Meeker Lighting & Staging, but the studio does not have an exclusive agreement with a caterer.
The space has been used in conjunction with Skylight West, another gallery-style venue on the building's sixth floor, and will continue to be available that way.
Booked through Kage Konsulting, Ampersand Studio holds as many as 510 people for fashion shows involving a runway, can accommodate 400 for receptions, or seats 250 with space for a dance floor.
