The Bethlehem Steel Corporation, based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was one of the most powerful companies of the Industrial Revolution. At its height, Bethlehem Steel was the second-largest steel producer in the United States and one of the largest shipbuilding companies in the world, occupying nearly 2000 acres in heart of the city and employing thousands of people over many generations. While the Bethlehem plant closed its operations in 1995, the iconic 285-foot blast furnaces still stand. Today, these historic ruins preside over the largest privately-owned brownfield in the country, which is now being transformed into a dynamic, sustainable, and livable mixed-use community. At the foot of the historic blast furnaces lies the ArtsQuest Center, the anchor building for this redeveloped site. The ArtsQuest Center is a hybrid building: part performance space, exhibition venue, art cinema, education center, and cultural landmark. Its 68,000 square feet include a 450-seat venue for live musical performance, a two-screen state-of-the-art cinema, and a number of multifunctional performance and community venues. The building plays a critical role in the creation of vibrant public space in Bethlehem’s urban core, hosting daily art cinema screenings, indoor and outdoor concerts, arts festivals, and over 300 live performances a year.
Links:
- https://vimeo.com/66859609