Delacorte Theater To Receive $110M Renovation

CENTRAL PARK, NY — Central Park's Delacorte Theater, the venue which hosts the Public Theater's yearly free productions of Shakespeare in the Park, is due for its first major upgrade since it was built in 1962, the theater company announced Wednesday.

Renowned architect Bjarke Ingels has been chosen to lead a $110 million renovation of the theater, which is located within the park just south of the Great Lawn, the Public Theater announced. The project will bring needed improvements to the venue including upgrades to dressing rooms, concessions and merchandise areas, ADA-compliant seating areas and renovated restrooms.

The Delacorte's "deteriorating" exteriors — which have suffered damage by storms, blizzards and extreme heat for 56 years — will also be reconstructed, theater officials said.

"We need to make the theater more accessible, more comfortable, and more welcoming. Our goal is to expand the number of New Yorkers who have access to this jewel and improve the quality of the Shakespeare in the Park experience for both artists and audiences," Oskar Eustis, artistic director of The Public Theater, said in a statement.

Renovations are expected to begin in 2020 and take two years to complete, the New York Times first reported. Its unclear where Shakespeare in the Park will be performed during the renovation.

The Delacorte Theater's number of seats and its footprint in the park will not be changed during the renovation, officials said. The goal of the project isn't to add capacity to the theater, but to make improvements that will allow for better and more frequent programming.

"In revitalizing the Delacorte, the Board’s goal is to build on what is already a successful institution to involve more people enjoying more free theater," Arielle Tepper, chair of the board of directors at The Public Theater, said in a statement.

More than 5 million people have taken in free theater at the Delacorte since it opened in 1962, theater officials said. It's unclear when renovations are expected to be completed.

Photo courtesy the Public Theater