Decades in the making, this latest missing piece of the 9/11 memorial site opened its doors on September 13, 2023. I’d noticed the construction during my NYC visit the year prior and the year before that. I’d casually read articles and watched YouTube videos about it, and now I stood at the foot of its grand staircase, about to be one of the first people to see a performance here.
“Devotion: Religion as a Refuge,” the flier read, was the second performance in an inaugural series called “Refuge: A Concert Series to Welcome the World.” With its theme focused on finding peace and solace in the arts, the music explored the idea of home, faith, school, family, and memories as a refuge. The lady handing out flyers by the entrance said I’d be welcome to listen to the free lobby performance and buy stage tickets should I choose to after.
I had made it just in time to explore the building before the free performance began in the lobby. Unignorable from the street, a grand staircase funneled me upstairs through the security gate. The box office counter on my left, the lobby on my right, and Marcus Samuelsson’s Metropolis bar & restaurant in the middle.
The lobby was cozy and warm. The amber lighting continued inside through the lit lines on the sculptural ceiling. Walking past the restaurant, I found a balcony. This triangular balcony had an outdoor bar and casual seating, where I absorbed the late summer evening breeze.
The lobby was intimate. We sat on couches and pulled up chairs around a small stage. We stood around where we couldn’t obstruct each other’s views, touching arms with the conductor in the crowd. We listened to the Choir of Trinity Wall Street during the pre-show performance. Shivers – from the very first note to the very last. It felt like a communal devotional, as if we were arm in arm, rejoicing in prayer.
I was greeted by Khady Kamara, the executive director of the PAC, who glowed (almost as brightly as the building she occupied) with elegance and grace. She led us upstairs to the main stage.
Up a few flights of stairs or a short elevator ride, we stepped out of the staircase into a tall, narrow hallway. We were wedged between the marbled facade and a concrete box within it. The numbered signs along the inner wall guided us towards the doors at the entrance of the main stage. The construction of the stage allows it to be configurable, with various options for different types of performances.
Inside – we listened, clapped along, and, at times, danced to the performances of the different cultures and faiths:
The Klezmatics energized the stage with classic Jewish music and the group’s equally classic wit and humor.
Violinists Arun Ramamurthy and Trina Basu featured Hindustani classical vocalist Samarth Nagarkar. They guided us through a peaceful and profoundly intimate prayer about the sacredness of even a particle of dust.
Innov Gnawa (my favorite performance of the night) introduced us to the West African indigenous and spiritual culture brought to Morocco during slavery.
Then, after a brief intermission, we enjoyed the music of Damien Sneed and the musical ensemble Chorale Le Chateau.
Ending the night, once again in the lobby, we joined a dancing crowd with Afro-Cuban and Yoruba religious beats of IFE.
Conclusion
Commissioned with the impossible task of rebuilding a city that is still shattered from the aftermath of the attacks, architect Joshua Ramus perfectly encapsulated the beautiful spirit of refuge. “We didn’t want to avoid the subject of trauma, but we also didn’t want to soak in it,” said Artistic Director Bill Rauch to AP. This was a recurring theme throughout my time here. While the rest of the memorial site commemorates those lost, the Perelman Center celebrates the lives of those living. The assertive amber glow of the Portuguese marble is as if a “beacon of light” in the city.
Shop the Inspired Look:
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Could not stop thinking about the ribbed glass lighting fixtures throughout the lobby of the Perelman - very Roaring 20's-esque.
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A centerpiece of Perelman's outdoor patio. Comfortable. 😃👍🏼
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These midcentury modern chairs are inspired by those at Metropolis, Marcus Samuelsson's new restaurant inside PAC NYC.
