Theatre Affiliates Spotlight – The Loews Kings Theatre, Brooklyn

Note:  The Theatre Affiliates Program is a national initiative by the Theatre Historical Society that has three objectives:  to connect historic theatres into one network, to develop a national database of historic theatres, and to archive the information and history of our theatres within the THS American Theatre Architectural Archive.  Participation in the program is free to all theatres in the United States and abroad; this is the first in an occasional series that highlights one of our theatre affiliates.

The historic Lowes Kings Theatre reopened its doors in 2015 as one of New York’s premier performing arts venues, providing a destination for large-scale popular entertainment and serving as a resource for local arts groups and community organizations.  This City-owned Theatre is a cultural and economic cornerstone of the Flatbush community and a major fixture to Brooklyn’s vibrant cultural landscape.

Featuring high curved ceilings, ornate plaster walls, wood paneling, pink marble, and a glazed terra-cotta ornamental façade, the Kings Theatre was inspired by the French Renaissance Revival style of the Palace of Versailles and the Paris Opera House. These original, signature elements have been restored whenever possible, and faithfully recreated when damage to the original is too great.

The restoration by Martinez & Johnson Architecture, added 10,000 square feet to Rapp & Rapp’s original design footprint of 93,000 square feet at a cost of $97 million.  Highlights of the exterior restoration include a restored terracotta façade, a new roof, and the addition of two loading bays; the project also included a recreated marquee with new lighting fixtures that require 812 lightbulbs.

Inside the Kings Theatre, upgraded front-of-house amenities include five permanent and five portable bars and an increased restroom capacity; in addition,  2,354 square feet of carpet was historically replicated, while seven chandeliers were fully restored.

Upgraded sight lines and flexible seating layout allow for the placement of up to 3,200 seats, and accommodations were allowed for 26 ADA seating locations.  Tapestries, curtains, and tassels were recreated, and lighting was overhauled to add over 564 lineal feet of LED cove in the ceiling dome and 55 LED accent lights to highlight the front of the stage and organ.

The footprint in the stagehouse increased by 224 square feet and includes 44 dressing room stations, a completely new rigging system, and an added 20’-0” by 10’-0” materials lift at stage.  The new stage house floor measures 227,535 cubic feet.

Building Design+Construction magazine recognized the King’s Theatre restoration project with a Platinum Reconstruction Award.  The project is also featured in Auditoria’s 2016 publication. Learn about the extensive renovation of this “Wonder Theater” of NYC. “After years of standing dormant, a project to restore a famed New York theater focused on rejuvenating public areas and facilities in a bid to return the iconic venue to its former glory.”  You can learn more about his project from our THS blog post from 2016.  In addition, CBS aired a story on this beautiful restoration.

Matt Lambros, an architectural photographer who began photographing abandoned buildings over ten years ago, has since been documenting the decay of America’s abandoned theaters in the hope of shedding light on these forgotten buildings and the efforts to re-purpose them.  His most recent book on the Loews Kings Theatre is available from Amazon.

If you would like more information on this exceptional restoration, the Project Team includes:

Construction Manager: Gilbane Building Company

Acoustical Design: Akustiks

Mechanical Engineer: Icor Consulting Engineers

Structural Engineer: Lundy & Franke Engineering

Theatrical/Architectural Lighting Designer: Schuler Shook

Terra Cotta Restoration: Building Conservation Associates

Civil Engineer: AKRF

Architectural Historian: EHT Traceries

For more information regarding the Theatre Affiliates Program, please contact THS at office@historictheatres.org.

If you find this story fascinating, we have a treasure trove of information about the history of your favorite theatres. Sign up for an account on historictheatres.org and enter through the STAGE DOOR!

For nearly fifty years Theatre Historical Society of America has been celebrating, documenting, and promoting the architectural, cultural, and social relevance of America’s historic theaters. However, we can’t do it alone.  Support from cinema lovers, architects, historians and people like you are paramount to our success.  Become a member today, and help us preserve the rich history of America’s greatest theatres.