DTW’s renovated building in Chelsea has a sheer glass façade. Its café, bar and box office are entirely exposed to the street through glass windows which can slide open in summer time. Like a membrane, the building’s gallery/lobby area permits a natural ebb & flow of people circulating through the space. A main revolving door entrance at street-level conducts traffic in and out of the lower level of the building. The box office sits immediately to the left of this entrance, while the café, bar and gallery extend to the right.
DTW sees choreographers, performers, critics and students, and often, crossing in front of its façade, the rest of New York’s population, many of who remain unfamiliar with contemporary dance. Outside foot traffic on the pavement is essentially uniform, traveling along the X- axis. Perpendicular to this flow, visitors penetrate the building (along the Z axis) primarily through the main entrance. At night the building lobby becomes mores congested” as audience await entrance to the theater, and rehearsals and classes end. There is a second surge of people exiting the building around 9pm when shows tend to end.