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Ray Harlem

Image rendering by Luxigon

2033 National Black Theatre Way
New York, NY 10035
Completion: Late 2024
Architect: Frida Escobedo and Handel Architects
Frida Escobedo

Frida established her eponymous studio in Mexico City in 2006. The studio’s reputation, initially built on the strength of a series of competition-winning projects in her native country—including the renovation of the Hotel Boca Chica (2008), the El Eco Pavilion (2010), and the expansion of La Tallera Siquieros in Cuernavaca (2012)—has achieved global scope since 2018, when she received the prestigious appointment to design the annual Serpentine Pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens, becoming the youngest architect to date to undertake the project. Her practice defies the traditional boundaries of the discipline, operating at a wide array of scales and mediums, from buildings and experimental preservation projects to temporary installations and public sculpture, limited edition objects, publications, and exhibition design.

Frida is the recipient of numerous accolades, including the Architectural League of New York’s Young Architects Forum Award (2009), the BIAU Prize (2014), the Architectural Review Emerging Architecture Award (2016), and the Architectural League Emerging Voices Award (2017). In 2019, she was honored as an International Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), and the studio was named by the seminal architecture magazine DOMUS as one of the world’s “100+ Best Architecture Firms.” Frida has been a visiting professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (2015), Harvard Graduate School of Design (2016, 2019), and the Architectural Association of London (2016). In 2017, she was named the Howard A. Friedman Visiting Professor of Practice at UC Berkeley. In 2019 she taught at and Rice University and Harvard GSD. Frida received her professional degree from Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico City) and holds a Master’s in Art, Design, and the Public Domain (ADPD) from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design (GSD).

Handel Architects

Handel Architects was founded in 1994 with a commitment to making cities better places to live. They believe that architecture and design matter, and that through their work, they can make a positive difference in the world. They strive to create buildings that are not just things in themselves, but serve as catalysts for positive urban and social change.

With over 200 architects and designers in New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Hong Kong, their work encompasses projects like the National September 11 Memorial, urban infrastructure and master planning projects, high-density mixed-use developments, multi-family projects across all income bands, hotels, corporate headquarters, and buildings for non-profit, institutional and educational clients around the world.

Little Wing Lee

Little Wing Lee is an award winning interior designer with over 15 years of experience in cultural, commercial and residential projects. Her sharp eye for color, texture and materiality along with her thoughtful and narrative-driven approach brought her to work with some of the most renowned and inventive design firms. In 2019, she started her own interior design practice, Studio & Projects. She also publicly launched Black Folks in Design, an organization whose mission is to bring awareness to and promote the cultural contributions, excellence, and importance of Black designers.

When the teams behind Ray and the National Black Theatre met in early 2019, it quickly became clear that there was a deep overlap in fundamental values. This convergence became the foundation for a joint vision for the corner of 125th Street and 5th Avenue in Harlem.

Ray is partnering with the National Black Theatre (NBT) to create a transformative building at 2033 5th Ave, also known as National Black Theatre Way. The project will deliver the flagship Ray Harlem residential rentals and the next iteration of the NBT performance space, as well as dynamic retail.

Together, Ray and NBT are looking to honor tradition while challenging assumptions about real estate and the built environment. Central to the project is the legacy of NBT founder Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, whose methodology of TEER Technology, “The Technology of the Soul,” integrates West African mythology, ritual, and symbolism. The project manifests this energy through the medium of built space, even down to the color of the brick: the pink-red hue references the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in Nigeria, honoring the original artisans behind the NBT space.

In service of infusing new energy and perspective into the conventional New York City real estate process, Ray carefully selected design partners who could help advance the landscape by thinking outside of the traditional building box. At the helm is visionary architect Frida Escobedo, in collaboration with esteemed New York City-based Handel Architects. Frida has brought her experience with textured materiality and contextual design to the Ray Harlem project, which represents her debut large-scale multi-family project as well as her first project of this magnitude in the United States. Frida’s collectivist approach translates into a space that prioritizes collision opportunities in both public and private spaces. Handel Architects complements this with over 25 years of building residential projects in New York City and around the world. Handel’s design sensibility coupled with their acumen for efficient execution makes them perfect partners for this transformational project.

One primary way the project exemplifies this approach is through the Living Room at the ground floor corner of 126th and 5th Avenue. This cozy space will be open to the public and serve as a community gathering space. Interior designer Little Wing Lee works to incorporate design gestures that speak to the history of the space, from the river that runs beneath the ground of 125th Street to NBT’s narrative. Little Wing brings her integrative approach as a through line in the design of the NBT lobby space as well, considering how the various neighbors within the building will interact with one another.

Ray Harlem is scheduled to open late 2024. While the building is being designed and constructed, Ray will focus on its creative partnership with NBT as well as opportunities for community engagement. More information about how to reserve space will be coming soon — sign up to stay updated.