The flagship of Kips Bay Boy’s and Girl’s Club’s 10 sites, the Lucile Palmaro Clubhouse received it’s largest and most dramatic renovation to date. The club enriches the lives of hundreds of children through programs ranging from arts to athletics to academics.

Working closely with the Club’s leaders and directors and development consultant, ESKW/Architects overhauled the heart of the Clubhouse, the Games Room, as well as several adjacent program rooms. The focus of the design was to bring life back to the centrally located Games Room by literally raising the roof and replacing ten abandoned skylights with a single sloped translucent skylight system. Without creating glare or loss of thermal energy, the new skylight floods the Games Room with diffused daylight.

The room was reshaped around the original brick fireplace, embracing the hearth as a symbol of warmth, community, and togetherness. The fireplace’s original copper hood was restored, bridging the past with the present while a custom cushion allows seating in and around the hearth. At the perimeter of the Games Room, deep, colorful nooks for seating create flexible spaces for small groups or singles. A metaphor for the students finding their own place in a big world, the small colorful nooks are a favorite place for club members.

The Games Room serves as a bridge to a rich array of programmatic options including digital arts, fine arts, homework assistance, performing arts and of course athletics including basketball and swimming. New skylights were provided in the Cadets Room, which serves as a home base for members in the 6-9 year old range, as well as to the Fine Arts Room. A new multi-use classroom was created with large pivot doors that open directly to the Games Room. The performing arts room, providing dance, choral, and theater programming, received a top-to-bottom renovation including new lighting, new dance floor, mirrors, acoustic and sound system as well as an operable partition to allow simultaneous classes.

Since 1969, the club has been a happy place full of activity and opportunity. With the new renovation, the space reflects the joy and energy of the Club’s extraordinary staff and membership.