This addition to the rooftop of the Eero Saarinen-designed Lincoln Center Theater building is the permanent home of LCT3, a programming initiative devoted to producing the work of emerging playwrights and directors. With 23,000 square feet of space and a 112-seat theater, the new performance venue complements the scale of LCT’s existing venues and offers a practical way to present new ideas to smaller audiences.
After studying multiple options for locating a smaller third theater on the Lincoln Center Theater campus, the team concluded that the only suitable location was on the rooftop of the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Upon investigation into the building’s armature and giant 20-foot concrete Vierndeel trusses, H3 decided that structure must directly inform the composition.
Respecting the rigorousness of Saarinen’s design, LCT3’s program is contained in a simple rectangular volume. The simple volume complements the existing structure, while the exterior walls of steel trusses, glass curtainwall, and aluminum screenwall identify the addition as something new. During the day, the addition subtly appears from just a few vantage points. At night, the new volume glows above the existing roof.
The LCT3 rooftop addition is perched on only six structural points. Steel trusses, the longest 150 feet long, bridge from point to point to support the two-story volume. The diagonal bracing of the trusses becomes a visible and distinctive element of both the exterior and interior architecture, visible in every major public space with a view to the exterior.
Anticipating a LEED Silver rating, the building features efficient systems and sustainable strategies, including a green roof that covers 44% of the site footprint.
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