Stage Right

Lobbies are one of the most underutilized amenities in American cities,” reflects Peter Zuspan, principal of the Brooklyn-based studio Bureau V Architecture (BVA). “How can we recapture their potential as fundamental public spaces?” That ambition underpins the firm’s latest project: the new home of the Bushwick Starr, a beloved New York City theater dedicated to incubating emerging talent and engaging community. At the height of the pandemic, the nonprofit organization lost the lease on its longtime space, necessitating a real estate scramble. Zuspan, a friend of the Bushwick Starr’s cofounders, tagged along, biking from listing to listing until finding a former milk-distribution facility for sale at Brooklyn’s outermost edge. Set on a quiet dead-end block, the building would afford exciting opportunities for street-level activations, with a rear alley for additional…