Construction Update: National Black Theater and Ray Harlem at 2033 Fifth Avenue
Southeast corner from East 125th Street.
Facade installation is ongoing at the mixed-use development Ray Harlem at 2033 Fifth Avenue in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York. The development is a joint venture between LXMD (an affiliate of L+M Development Partners) and Ray, a new real estate venture from art patron and philanthropist Dasha Zhukova that combines culturally inspired apartment buildings with publicly accessible art spaces. As the inaugural project of the Ray venture, the development includes a 222-unit residential rental tower sitting atop a podium with 27,000 square feet of space for the National Black Theater, a ground floor community space to be open to the public, and retail. The National Black Theater has been in operation since 1968. Design of the project is led by Handel Architects and Frida Escobedo Architects.
Close-up of the southwest corner.
Ray Harlem’s brick facade features a pink-red hue that references the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in Nigeria. Brick installation is nearly finished on the residential tower, and window installation has surpassed the halfway mark.
Looking up at the south facade.
Southwest corner from Fifth Avenue.
Southwest corner from East 125th Street.
Close-up of the southwest corner.
Architects: Handel Architects and Frida Escobedo Architects; Developers: Ray and LMXD; Program: Residential, Theater, Retail; Location: East Harlem, New York, NY; Completion: Late 2024 (Residential), 2026 (Theater).
