Perelman Performing Arts Center designed by REX. Image Iwan Baan

Clark Door celebrates pivotal role in NYC’s Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC)

The Perelman Performing Arts Center is a 129,000-square-foot mixed-use facility in Lower Manhattan, New York City, and the final major landmark building in restoring the World Trade Center site.

Clark Door is privileged to have designed and manufactured the specialist vertical acoustic fire-rated doors for this innovative, award-winning building.
With a well-established reputation as a supplier of high-specification acoustic doors for theatres, opera houses, and film studios across the world, the Clark Door team worked closely with architects and consultants to develop exceptionally large doors that would provide incredible flexibility of space for this important performing arts venue.

The Perelman Performing Arts Center- a $500 million project- opened in September 2023, offering flexible layouts in three theatre spaces that can be combined to provide 60+ seating configurations with the option of opening all three spaces or closing them off individually for distinct usages. These configurations were made possible through extensive collaboration between Clark Door and project stakeholders.

Clark Door was approached in 2016 due to their reputation for pushing the boundaries of what is technically possible in this field. When asked if the specialist acoustic fire-rated doors could make the flexible configuration of the building possible, the answer was a resounding yes.

Commenting on the role of the doors in the overall design of the center, Charcoal Blue, the Theatre Consultant for the project said: “The doors are a critical piece of the flexible operation of the PAC’s venues, since they
provide the ability to simultaneously stage performances in two of the facility’s theatres without interruption or disturbance due to unwanted noise transfer. The doors will enable the PAC team to present as wide a variety of artistic work as they can imagine. They provide critical enclosure and flexibility to suit the endlessly changing needs of the artists who will perform there”.

Commenting on project completion, Andrew Ashley, Clark Door’s Managing Director, said: “I have many memories on this ground-breaking project which we have been talking about at the opening. I can vividly remember the first design team meeting seven years ago, collaboratively brainstorming ideas to save space and weight with our solution. Then going back to the UK and the lightbulb moment when together with our talented team we figured out a concept for us to design a door without counterbalance. The more we thought
about it the more we realised it would be a great solution for the client.

“Another milestone was when we tested the first fully manufactured vertical acoustic door in our brand-new R&D Centre. We were using new technologies to push the boundaries so proved the design by demonstrating the first completed door fully working and all its design features in full operation.

“Earlier this year, together with our supervisors, I witnessed the acoustic tests of the installed doors in person in the final months of the construction. To realise the vision from all that time ago was a special moment. When both of our doors are closed the sound insulation performance is truly astonishing – the highest on any project we have worked on. We are really proud of this and what it meant for the client, a truly flexible venue.

“In PAC_NYC’s own words: “you can have a rock concert in one theatre and a poetry recital in the adjacent theatre – without a lick of noise coming through the doors.”

Clark Door is proud to have been involved in such a landmark project that will leave a positive legacy for years to come in downtown Manhattan.