Herzog & de Meuron to Restore Park Avenue Armory's 5,000-Square-Meter Floor

Herzog & de Meuron, with executive architects Platt Byard Dovell White, have designed a $4 million restoration of the Wade Thompson Drill Hall's flooring at New York's Park Avenue Armory. The 5,000-square-meter pine floor, original to the 1880s building, will be replaced with reclaimed wood from historic structures nationwide, including the Domino Sugar Factory in Brooklyn. The project aims to preserve the hall's acoustic and structural integrity, supporting loads of up to 1,000 seated spectators, trucks, and heavy artworks. Funding includes $1.925 million from New York City (Mayor's Office, City Council, Manhattan Borough President) and $125,000 from New York State via Assembly Member Dan Quart, plus $225,000 raised through grants from the Howard Gilman Foundation and Stavros Niarchos Foundation. The Armory, a hybrid palace-industrial building, hosts TEFAF art fairs and site-specific projects. Upcoming 2019 programming includes Hito Steyerl's installation 'Drill' opening June 20. Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl and Armory President Rebecca Robertson emphasized the floor's historical and artistic significance.