The Park Avenue Armory

This is the Park Avenue Armory, also known as the 7th Regiment Armory.  It was completed in 1880 for the U.S. Army National Guard.  What a stunning building!  How have I never been here before?  That's crazy that I didn't know about this building.  This building takes up an entire city block. In 2000, the state awarded the Park Avenue Armory Conservancy the responsibility of overhauling the building, restoring the dilapidated interior spaces, and transforming it into an arts venue. 

In the 21st century, the armory is largely used as an event, exhibit, and performance space, and this is where the Diane Arbus exhibit was held.  You are NOT going to believe the inside!

I was stunned at the sight of this hall that you see after you enter the front door and look to the right.  i just was not expecting this!  There are a number of rooms in the front of the building, some by Louis Comfort Tiffany and Sanford White and others.

This is a view of the entrance hall after you walk about 75 feet and turn and look back at the front door.  Would you ever have believed that this was what the interior of the building would look like?

At my back is the entrance to the exhibition space.  That space is called the Wade Thompson Drill Hall and it is 200 feet wide and 300 feet deep and the curved ceiling is 100 feet high!  That's where the exhibit was but only a small part of the hall was used for the exhibit. and so the ceiling was not lit and it was difficult to see the ceiling.  Here is a wide-angle photograph of the exhibit.  Astounding, right?  I will talk more about this tomorrow.  There is a trick done here by the designers that is not obvious.  Please click on this photgraph to see it much larger.