THE BUILDING
The former Third District Magistrates Courthouse located at 32 Second Avenue in Manhattan’s Lower East Side is home to Anthology Film Archives. Learn more about the history of the building and our plans for the future.
Two Short Films on the History of Anthology's Courthouse Building:
“Persistence of Vision” is a film by Tom Brenner and Anthology Film Archives.
“Completion Project” is a film by Jonas Mekas.
The Building's Many Iterations:
The site was originally conceived to be a fourteen-story “skyscraper-type” courthouse and prison. The building was commissioned by The City of New York Board of City Magistrates and its architect was Alfred Hopkins.
Rendering by Alfred Hopkins courtesy of Real Estate Record & Builders' Guide, December 6, 1913.
Due to the World War I economy, the building was scaled down to a three-story Renaissance Revival fortress-like building modeled after European prisons. Built in 1919, it included a complaint room on the first floor, a courthouse on the third floor, with fifteen prison cells on the first and second floors. The facade was composed of brick masonry walls and terra-cotta ornamentation.
1940s Tax Photo courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives.
Anthology Film Archives first opened on November 30, 1970 within New York’s Public Theater. Pressed by the need for more adequate space, it acquired the Courthouse building at auction in 1979 for fifty-thousand dollars.
Image by Hollis Melton courtesy of Anthology Film Archives, 1979.
In addition to adapting the building into theaters, part of the proposed design for Anthology also included an extended library built into the building's alleyway (shown here in the model). Due to funding constraints, however, Anthology left this for the future. The design would inform the process of devising solutions for today’s expansion design.
Image courtesy of Bone/Levine Architects, model by Atelier Raimund Abraham ca. 1980.
Under the guidance of architect Raimund Abraham and Bone/Levine Architects, the building was adapted to house two motion picture theaters, a reference library, a film preservation department, offices, and a gallery. It reopened to the public on October 12, 1988.
Image courtesy of Anthology Film Archives.
Designed by Bone/Levine Architects, the proposed expansion is characterized by a horizontal enlargement over the existing alleyway. This project will fulfill a long-standing aspiration to create spaces to support Anthology’s current and future operations that, in part, were not completed in the first conversion of the 1980s. Project plans have been approved by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and Manhattan Community Board 3.
Rendering courtesy of Bone/Levine Architects.
Plans for the Expansion:
Anthology is planning a complete interior renovation (the first time since 1988) as well as an expansion. The interior renovations will improve research facilities and access, public areas and circulation, and office and work spaces for staff. The expansion into its alleyway will include a street-level public café and new film vaults.
Library: A new library will house Anthology’s unparalleled collections of paper materials.
Film Vaults: An expansion into Anthology’s alleyway will create space for more cold-storage film vaults.
Café: The ground floor will also include a public café to help offset Anthology’s operating costs and act as a gathering space for the community.
Rooftop Terrace: A rooftop terrace for special events and performances will expand public programming opportunities.
Restoration: The exterior architectural details of the courthouse building will be restored.
Elevator, Mechanical, and Environmental Upgrades: Mechanical, and Environmental Upgrades: A new elevator will make the entire building ADA accessible and a complete upgrade of mechanical equipment will improve environmental management.
Interior Renovation: A complete interior renovation will improve public areas, gallery space, and research facilities.
