FRIENDS Preservation Committee can support both components of this application. We are happy to see a fully accessible entrance from the plaza level with a direct connection the Great Hall. This addition is an improvement for enhancing accessibility for people with disabilities and reducing congestion at the existing entrances on 81st and 82nd streets. The proposed bronze and glass doors on each side of the existing entrance on 83rd Street are an appropriate solution as they will restore the 1906 McKim, Mead, and White design scheme and will not require the removal of any historic materials.

We also find the chiller plant proposal appropriate. This alteration is necessary to improve the building's energy efficiency by reducing overall energy consumption and meeting the NYC Energy Conservation Code. The proposed louvered screen wall is appropriate as it maintains the visual continuity and symmetry of the existing Fifth Avenue façade and will not detract from the character of the Museum, nor will it be visible from the plaza, and only minimally visible across Fifth Avenue as one progresses towards Madison Avenue.