The temporary exhibits program at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) provide the opportunity for the Museum to highlight current science, research and trends. These short-term exhibits are intended to attract and engage new and repeat visitors by providing special programming that diversifies the Museum’s offerings.
In addition to its exhibition and building projects located in the public realm, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) undertakes infrastructure and back of house facility upgrades, as well as maintenance projects to support its twenty-five building historic campus. As its first project with AMNH, Zubatkin oversaw the planning and implementation of a central mechanical plant to service the entire Museum complex.
This adaptive re-use project transformed a former SRO hotel located at 18 Gramercy Park into luxury residences. Designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects, the project was undertaken by Eastgate Realty and Zeckendorf Development. The condominium includes fourteen full-floor condominiums, a terraced duplex penthouse, and a maisonette unit – each with keys to the exclusive Gramercy Park. Located in a historic district, the project involved securing approvals from the Landmark Preservation Commission and an ambitious architectural design.
As the preeminent institution devoted to the art of the United States, the Whitney Museum of American Art presents the full range of twentieth-century and contemporary American art, with a special focus on works by living artists. The Whitney is dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting, and exhibiting American art, and its collection–arguably the finest holding of twentieth-century American art in the world–is the Museum’s key resource.
The Whitney embarked on a project to convert the top-floor of its iconic Breuer Building into the Museum’s permanent galleries, relocating its administrative offices from the main building into three interconnected brownstones. The program also included a new library facility and museum store, as well as upgrades to the mechanical, lighting and infrastructure systems.
Founded in 1951 and located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Saint David’s School offers a rigorous academic program for over 400 boys in pre-Kindergarten through Grade Eight.
As part of its long term planning efforts, Saint David’s purchased a residential building adjacent to its facilities on 89th Street. The school sought to repurpose the residential complex to provide enhanced facilities for its students. The program includes classrooms, art and music rooms, a dining hall, 290-seat performance space, and a full spectrum of athletic support spaces, complete with a regulation size Middle School gym. Located within a historic district, the project obtained approvals from both the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Board of Standards and Appeals.
Founded in 1889, the Educational Alliance is a not-for-profit, community-based organization which operates almost 20 locations throughout Lower Manhattan. Each year, the Alliance provides over 50,000 New Yorkers with a diverse series of programs focused on education, arts, wellness, and social services.
To further its mission and improve the overall functionality of its multi-use facility, the Alliance sought to renovate and expand its historic flagship building on the Lower East Side. Upgrades addressed the early childhood classrooms, teen and senior centers, kitchen and administrative offices. The program also included a new glass-enclosed rooftop addition for event space and a state-of-the-art health and fitness center.
The Richard Gilder Graduate School at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) represents the first PhD degree-granting program for any museum in the Western hemisphere. The comparative biology program offers students unparalleled access to the resources of the Museum, including its world-renowned collections, exceptional history library of 40,000 scientific volumes, and over forty distinguished faculty members.
The Richard Gilder Graduate School facility is located in the top floor of the Museum’s 1891 building. The project includes a 25-person teaching lab, a student lounge, study spaces, 50-person lecture hall and administrative offices. Crucial to the success of the project was the coordination and integration of the new space within the existing historic building.
A graduate research institute in New York City, the Bard Graduate Center’s programs and facilities focus on exploring new ways of thinking about the decorative arts, design history and material culture.
To accommodate its growth and programmatic needs, Bard embarked on several major capital projects:
Since its opening nearly a century ago, the Westport Weston Family YMCA has served as a vital social service institution and community resource. With over 3,300 active memberships, the organization offers a rich and diverse series of youth, adult and senior programs.
The Family YMCA embarked on a plan to relocate from downtown Westport to a new building on their existing 32-acre property at Camp Mahackeno Outdoor Center. The Phase I 54,000 square foot facility features a state-of-the-art fitness and wellness center, aquatics center with a ten-lane competition pool and warm water family teaching/therapeutic pool, multi-purpose gym, exercise studios, locker rooms, administrative offices, and other supporting amenities. The Robert A.M. Stern design carefully integrates the building into its surrounding natural site, which includes woodlands, trails and open space areas. To improve access to the facility, the project also involved the reconfiguration of the highway exit ramp and new parking facilities.
Established in 1847 to promote the advancement of art and literature, The Century is a club comprised of over two thousand authors, artists and amateurs of letters and fine arts. The Century is a quintessentially New York place. The institution’s landmarked building was originally designed by renowned architects, McKim, Mead & White.
The Century engaged Zubatkin to oversee their major rooftop expansion project, which added a full floor and outdoor terrace area to the building. The project scope also included various infrastructure improvements and upgrades to the archival support facilities.
The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank and publisher. Founded in 1921, the institution is dedicated to increasing America’s understanding of the world and contributing ideas to U.S. foreign policy.
The Council on Foreign Relations embarked on a major renovation and expansion of its New York headquarters, located in the landmarked Harold Pratt House on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The program involved the reorganization of its interconnected campus of five historic buildings to improve the circulation and functional use of space. The project also featured the creation of a state-of-the-art conferencing facility with video-conferencing capabilities that link the Council on Foreign Relation’s headquarters with collaborators across the globe. The facility hosts over 250 events annually, ranging from panel discussions and lectures to town hall meetings and film screenings.