Almost four years ago, El Museo del Barrio broke ground on its ambitious $44 million expansion project, and on October 17, in time for the Latin cultural institution's 40th anniversary, the Fifth Avenue museum celebrated its official reopening with the launch of two exhibitions and a weekend of public activities. Funded through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and designed by Gruzen Samton Architects, the renovated facility now sports a glass facade, a redesigned courtyard, modernized gallery space, and a new café that will also serve as a site for outside events and El Museo's programming.
At the upper end of Museum Mile, El Museo sits just north of the Museum of the City of New York and overlooks Central Park's Conservatory Garden.
Central to the museum's refurbishment was creating a more inviting site for the community, and with that in mind, the architects opened up the entrance on Fifth Avenue by reconfiguring the front courtyard and encasing the lobby in glass. Adjacent to the café, these two sections can be used for large events and, when combined, measure 6,000 square feet and hold 650 for receptions and 400 for seated dinners. Additionally, metal canopy fixtures allow a tent to be erected in the courtyard.
The café itself is a 2,000-square-foot multipurpose room created for outside functions and internal gatherings. Operated by Great Performances and serving authentic Pan-Latin fare, El Café is decked in bright orange tile, and floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with natural light. As a venue for events, the café has the capacity for 100 seated or 300 for receptions.
Another on-site area available for event rental is El Teatro, the 599-seat theater. With an Art Deco interior, the stunning performance space offers 30-foot murals by artist William Pogany, stained-glass roundels, a proscenium arch stage, an orchestra pit, and orchestra and balcony seating. The second phase of El Museo's renovations, which continue into 2010, include making upgrades to this part of the museum.
In conjunction with the rental of the café, courtyard, or theater, events may also make use of the museum's galleries.
