Committee favors restoring marquee at 159 Bleecker Street and permits halo-lit neon as architectural element

Greta Hansen of Heights Studio Architecture presented a certificate of appropriateness application for 159 Bleecker Street, a former theater building in the South Village Historic District. The proposal calls for replacing the existing aluminum storefront infill, inserting fluted aluminum panels at the base, new windows where historic infill existed, and restoration of the marquee canopy.

Hansen described the marquee as a defining fragment of the building’s theatrical past. The design team proposed cladding the underside with a dark aluminum panel, installing small recessed pin lights (about a half inch diameter) and applying linear neon lines with a "halo lit" effect in which two-thirds of the tubes would be masked (a block-out paint) to soften outward brightness.

Committee members discussed neon policy in the district and noted the body’s general reluctance to permit new neon except where historically appropriate. The committee chair said the proposal would be treated as an architectural element rather than a commercial neon sign and expressed sympathy for a measured neon treatment that uses masking. Members also asked for a simplified glass/textured-glass approach to the storefront glazing; the applicant presented options and a preference for clear lower windows with textured/reeded glass in limited locations. A committee member recommended limiting neon brightness and confirming the marquee’s attachment and drainage details.

The committee indicated support for restoring the marquee and for the proposed subdued neon approach as an architectural accent, with staff to review final details.