The Egg (building)


The Egg is a performing arts venue in Albany, New York. Named for its shape, the building was designed by Harrison & Abramovitz as part of the Empire State Plaza project, and built between 1966 and 1978. It is located in the northeast corner of the Plaza. It has become an icon of New York's Capital District due to its unusual shape and central location. The New York State Office of General Services maintains the Egg. The Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center Corporation is a New York state public-benefit corporation that was created in 1979 to manage the performing arts facility in the Empire State Plaza. The Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, a modern dance performing arts group, has been the resident company at the Egg for 28 years.

Organization

The Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center Corporation is governed by an 11-member board of directors. The board is chosen by the New York State Governor, the New York State Senate, the New York State Assembly, the Albany County Executive, and also has a member from the New York State Office of General Services. In 2017, the corporation had operating expenses of $1.96 million and a staffing level of 43 people.

Structure

The Egg is slightly inclined, and has a small pedestal on which it appears to sit. In fact, the building is held by a stem that goes down six stories into the Plaza. Attached to this stem is a concrete girdle that surrounds The Egg, enabling it to retain its shape and transmitting its weight to the pedestal. The building's organic shape reflects Nelson Rockefeller's original goal of architectural design that uses the fine artistic elements of sculpture.
The Egg houses two theaters, the 450-seat Lewis A. Swyer Theatre and the 982-seat Kitty Carlisle Hart Theatre. It draws many performing acts to Albany, including music, dance, and traditional stage presentations. The Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, a modern dance performing arts group, has been the resident company at the Egg for 28 years.
The ARC River Culture Pavilion in Daegu South Korea is a similar structure in design.

In popular culture