A landmark public-private-nonprofit partnership bringing together Berklee, the City of New York, and musician/investor Pete Muller has been formed to revitalize the historic studio on West 53rd Street most recently known as Avatar Studios. The facility will be renamed Power Station at BerkleeNYC in a nod to the studio’s original name and to the building’s original use to supply power to midtown Manhattan residents.
The recording studios—where artists like Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, David Bowie, Madonna, Herbie Hancock, Esperanza Spalding, Bob Dylan, the cast of Hamilton, and many others recorded iconic albums—will be transformed into a state-of-the-art recording and video production facility for the city’s music, theater, television, and film industries.
In addition to the studio renovation, the building’s lower level will be converted into a flexible-use practice/performance venue, including an affordable rehearsal space featuring a professional-size stage and state-of-the-art sound, lighting, and projection technology. It will also include a video control room to capture and post-produce video from all over the building, and a virtual reality/augmented reality studio.
