The Thomas Lamb designed Loew’s Metropolitan Theatre originally opened in 1918 and was later converted to a four-screen theater in 1978. In 2000, Kostow Greenwood began the process of fully restoring the theatre, returning it to a single auditorium and restoring its ornamental details while cohesively incorporating it into the Brooklyn Tabernacles newly envisioned campus. The theatre was reopened in 2002 as the new home of the Brooklyn Tabernacle complete with a rehearsal space and production suite with new mechanical and electrical systems. The restoration of the Loew’s Metropolitan Theater for the Brooklyn Tabernacle is the recipient of both a Lucy Moses Preservation Award from the NY Landmarks Conservancy and a Brooklyn Builds Aware for Community Facilities.
This adaptive re-use project includes the full restoration of the 3,200-seat theatre and the reconstruction of three attached 5-story buildings for use as church offices and classrooms / meeting rooms. The theater is designed to accommodate a 250-voice choir with full audio and video recording capability. The design also features a rehearsal space for the choir and a full audio/video production suite.