The Egg, Albany
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| Address | Empire State Plaza |
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| Location | Albany, NY, 12220 USA |
| Coordinates | 42°39′02″N 73°45′31″W / 42.650435°N 73.758516°W |
| Owner | Empire State Plaza |
| Type | Performing arts center |
| Capacity | Lewis A. Swyer Theatre: 450 Kitty Carlisle Hart Theatre: 982 |
| Opened | 1978 |
| Website | |
| www | |
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.[1] It has become an icon of New York's Capital District due to its unusual shape and central location.
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.[1] The building's organic shape reflects Nelson Rockefeller's original goal of architectural design that uses the fine artistic elements of sculpture.[2]
The Egg houses two theaters, the 450-seat Lewis A. Swyer Theatre and the 982-seat Kitty Carlisle Hart Theatre.[1] It draws many performing acts to Albany, including music, dance, and traditional stage presentations.[citation needed]
In popular culture
The Egg is the subject of a song by They Might Be Giants, entitled "Albany", which was written for their 2004 Venue Songs compilation album.[3]
In 2013, Mike Gordon of Phish released a live album titled The Egg. The album was recorded live on December 11, 2011 at The Egg.[4]
References
- ^ a b c "The Egg Architecture & History". Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center Corporation. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
- ^ Benjamin, Gerald; Hurd, T. Norman, eds. (1984). "The Builder". Rockefeller in Retrospect: The Governor's New York Legacy. Albany, NY: Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Govt. p. 90. ISBN 0-914341-01-4. OCLC 11770290.
- ^ Flansburgh, John (2008-04-16). "Talking with They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh about The Egg". All Over Albany interview. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
- ^ "Mike Gordon 'The Egg' Available Now". Mike-Gordon.com. 2013-04-22. Retrieved 2013-02-25.
42°39′02″N 73°45′31″W / 42.650435°N 73.758516°W
External links
- The Egg home page
Media related to The Egg (building) at Wikimedia Commons
