The Hamilton Cooling Center is an adaptive reuse proposal of the now-vacant 1913 Hamilton RKO Theater located at 146th and Broadway in New York. The project takes interest in the use of HVAC systems in historic theaters and, through the use of strategic cuts in the façade of the building, aims to express the building’s internal ductwork. Historic construction documents were analyzed to better understand the concealment of mechanical chases. This informed the locations of the new openings cut into the building. The newly-proposed storefront façade reveals both the interior cooling lounge and the interior of one of the building’s original wall chases. New partitions provided beneath the original balcony seating in the auditorium provide private treatment spaces for heat-related illnesses. The orchestral pit and central portion of the auditorium remain open for audience seating, while the stage can be used both as an art gallery by day, and a performance space by night. To display art, this space utilizes the building’s original fly system to suspend artworks. The result is a space that blends care for heat stress with the arts.
