Lincoln Center Theater to Build Hugh Hardy-Designed LCT3 Above Vivian Beaumont Theater

Hugh Hardy has designed a new black box theater that will be perched on the roof of Lincoln Center Theater’s Vivian Beaumont Theater with a terrace overlooking Lincoln Center. The new theater, called LCT3, will feature the work of emerging playwrights, directors, and designers, and will be aimed at new audiences.

LCT3 will house a 131-seat theater and dressing rooms, as well as rehearsal and office space and an outdoor terrace surrounded by a green roof. The theater will be named the Claire Tow Theater, in honor of the wife of longtime LCT Board Member Leonard Tow.

Construction is scheduled to begin in March, with a completion date of late 2011 or early 2012. It is anticipated that performances in the Beaumont and Newhouse auditoriums will not be interrupted during the building process.

Hardy’s history with the Lincoln Center facility dates back to its construction in the early 1960s when he worked as an assistant to scenic designer Jo Mielziner, who was collaborating with Eero Saarinen on the design of the Vivian Beaumont.