Ray Harlem and National Black Theatre
National Black Theatre's new home will ensure that the institution continues to serve as a vital resource for artists and entrepreneurs.
Ray Harlem is a new mixed-use residential project for Ray and LMXD located in New York City's Harlem neighborhood. The project includes 222 units of mixed-income apartments above a new home for National Black Theatre (NBT), the longest-running Black theater in New York City. Founded in 1968 by visionary Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, NBT presented productions by, and about, Black Americans at a time when they were ignored by mainstream institutions. The new building ensures that NBT, a vital community resource, will be able to serve future generations.
Ray Harlem and National Black Theater integrates West African mythology, ritual, and symbolism into the design. The pink-red brick references the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in Nigeria, honoring the original artisans behind the NBT space. A "Living Room" at the ground floor corner of 126th and 5th Avenue will be open to the public and serve as a community gathering space.