Lee Harris Pomeroy (November 19, 1932 – February 18, 2018) was an American architect and the founding principal of the firm Lee Harris Pomeroy Architects. He was a member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects, and the
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
(RIBA). Pomeroy's work included design and planning for corporate, transportation and institutional facilities in the United States and Asia. Working with
New York City Transit
The New York City Transit Authority (also known as NYCTA, the TA, or simply Transit, and branded as MTA New York City Transit) is a public-benefit corporation in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City. Pa ...
over many years. he completed the restoration and modernization projects for a number of historic
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system in New York City serving the New York City boroughs, boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. It is owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Tr ...
stations.
Education and Life
Pomeroy attended
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (; RPI) is a private university, private research university in Troy, New York, United States. It is the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world and the Western Hemisphere. It was establishe ...
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1955. He followed this by obtaining his master's degree, also in architecture, from
Yale
Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...
in 1961. He was married to
Sarah B. Pomeroy
Sarah B. Pomeroy (born March 13, 1938) is an American Professor of Classics.
Early life and education
Sarah Pomeroy was born in New York City in 1938. She attended the Birch Wathen School, taking Latin and ancient history among other subjects. ...
, former professor of classics at
Hunter College
Hunter College is a public university in New York City, United States. It is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York and offers studies in more than one hundred undergraduate and postgraduate fields across five schools ...
. Their daughter,
Jordana Pomeroy
Jordana Pomeroy is an American Museum director, author and former curator. She is the Director and CEO of Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire. She served as the Director of the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU from 2015 to ...
, is the Director of the
Frost Art Museum
The Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum'' (''"Frost Art Museum") is an art museum located in the Modesto A. Maidique campus of Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida. Founded in 1977 as The Art Museum at Florida Internat ...
in Miami and their son, Jeremy Pomeroy, an attorney, is the founder of th
Pomeroy Law Group Their other daughter, Alexandra (Ali) Pomeroy, a documentary filmmaker, died on February 27, 2015, at the age of 47. Lee Pomeroy died on February 18, 2018, at the age of 85.
Career
Pomeroy spearheaded the conservation and modernization of many historic
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system in New York City serving the New York City boroughs, boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. It is owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Tr ...
stations. His work for
New York City Transit
The New York City Transit Authority (also known as NYCTA, the TA, or simply Transit, and branded as MTA New York City Transit) is a public-benefit corporation in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City. Pa ...
includes projects for the
at ; ; ; ; ; the
Fulton Center
Fulton Center is a subway and retail complex centered at the intersection of Fulton Street (Manhattan), Fulton Street and Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The complex was built as part of a $1.4 billion proje ...
at ; and . Many of these projects involved innovative collaborations with artists engaged in the agency's
Arts for Transit
MTA Arts & Design, formerly known as Metropolitan Transportation Authority Arts for Transit and Arts for Transit and Urban Design, is a commissioned art program directed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the transportation systems ...
Program.
As part of a project by the governments of
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
to update their connected rail lines, Pomeroy's firm completed the design of six underground stations for the new
Kolkata Metro Green Line
Green Line, also known as East–West Metro, is a rapid transit metro line of the Kolkata Metro in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It currently consists of two distinctly operational sections from Salt Lake Sector-V metro station, Salt Lake Sect ...
. In addition to the station design, the firm was responsible for developing land use plans in the station areas. When completed, the new line will link suburban residential areas of Salt Lake and Howrah to the central business district. The new metro will connect with major rail terminals at and , as well as an existing North-South metro line. Intermodal connections to ferries, buses, surface rail and taxis will be accessible to the line. When completed in 2015, the new line was to accommodate an estimated 480,000 passengers daily.
In the
Technological Development Area (TEDA) in Tianjin, China, Pomeroy designed the one million SF Binhai International Convention and Exhibition Center, built in the shape of a Chinese fan with curving steel saw tooth roof. Steel trusses suspended by cables attached to masts rising nearly 115 feet support the roof allowing for large clear spans which provide flexible exhibition space.
Pomeroy was an early proponent of adaptive reuse. His 1963 design for the Henry Street Studios in Brooklyn converted a turn of the 20th century factory building into artists’ studios and housing. The renovated candy factory in New York City's first designated historic district, the
Brooklyn Heights Historic District
__NOTOC__
The Brooklyn Heights Historic District is a Historic districts in the United States, historic district that comprises much of the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, United States. It was named a National Historic ...
, received a Progressive Architecture Award at a time when historic buildings were routinely being demolished rather than repurposed.
In
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle ( ; in ) is a Political subdivisions of New York State#City, city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately from Midtow ...
, Pomeroy, along with architects John Lebduska and Fred W.Lyon, designed another notable adaptive reuse project which involved the conversion of an automobile garage into an award-winning 75,000-SF, three-level New Rochelle Public Library.
New Rochelle Public Library The main section of the building was refurbished from a former parking garage The project won an 'Award of Excellence for Library Architecture' from the
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...
and the
American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world.
History 19th century ...
in 1980.
At the
Fulton Street Pedestrian Mall, an eight block-long shopping street open only to pedestrians and public buses, in
downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn is the third-largest central business district in New York City (after Midtown Manhattan, Midtown and Lower Manhattan), and is located in the northwestern section of the borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. The neighb ...
, Pomeroy was responsible for pedestrian and traffic surveys; transportation planning, urban design and coordination of engineering consultants along with extensive community and agency involvement. He designed street furniture and equipment for the project including large, free-standing canopies, vendors’ kiosks, directory and telephone kiosks; and high mast lighting. The graphics program, which he also designed for the project, consists of informational, directional and street signage. The Mall had been in operation since the 1970s, but Pomeroy's renovation was completed in 1984; it is now one of the most profitable, culturally diverse and lively public spaces in New York City. The project was awarded an
Albert S. Bard Award
The City Club of New York is an independent, not-for-profit organization based in New York City.
In 1950, ''The New York Times'' called the City Club of New York "a social club with a civic purpose"[City Club of New York
The City Club of New York is an independent, not-for-profit organization based in New York City.
In 1950, ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Tim ...]
.
In the 1980s, Pomeroy, supported by the
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...
, played a key role in the establishment of the
Broadway Theater District, protecting architecturally significant historic theaters from demolition while encouraging large scale commercial development through the transfer of air rights. As a consultant to Actors' Equity and New York City preservation advocates, Lee Pomeroy devised a
plan to revise the design of the proposed Portman Hotel and preserve the historic Morosco and Helen Hayes Theaters. Those theaters were eventually demolished, but for his work in trying to preserve them, Pomeroy received a Certificate of Merit from the
Municipal Art Society
The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS) is a non-profit membership organization for preservation in New York City, which aims to encourage thoughtful planning and urban design and inclusive neighborhoods across the city.
The organization was ...
.
In the area of historic preservation, Pomeroy renovated spaces at 285 Central Park West, a building within the
Central Park West Historic District
The Central Park West Historic District is located along Central Park West, between 61st and 97th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on ...
into a multi-level penthouse apartment with views of
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
. He also designed a major renovation and extension to
St. James' Episcopal Church at 71st Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Beginning in 2001, the church and parish house were completely rebuilt providing additional classrooms and meeting spaces, as well as a new atrium. At
Trinity Church in lower Manhattan, Pomeroy was responsible for the design of a footbridge spanning
Trinity Place
Church Street and Trinity Place form a single northbound roadway in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Its northern end is at Canal Street and its southern end is at Morris Street, where Trinity Place merges with Greenwich Street. The dividing p ...
and linking the church with its parish house.
Other selected projects
*
Bleecker Street Subway Station, New York, NY
*
Lally School of Management
The Lally School of Management is the business school of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), located in Troy, New York. Established in 1963, the school is known for its emphasis on the integration of management, technology, and innovation. L ...
, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
*
New Rochelle Public Library, New Rochelle, NY
*
Plaza Hotel
The Plaza Hotel (also known as The Plaza) is a luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is located on the western side of Grand Army Plaza, after which it is named, just west of Fifth Avenue, ...
Renovations (canceled), New York, NY
*
Ronald McDonald House
Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is an independent American nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children.
RMHC has a global network of ...
, New Hyde Park, NY
*Binhai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Tianjin, China
*
East 180th Street Subway Station
East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that eas ...
(
former New York, Westchester and Boston Railroad Administration Building) Bronx, NY
*HBO Satellite Communications Center, Hauppauge, NY
*Skill City Master Plan, Bangalore, India
*
Swiss Bank Tower
The Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store is a department store on Fifth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The original 10-story structure at 611 Fifth Avenue has served as the flagship store of Saks Fifth A ...
, New York, NY
References
External links
Lee Harris Pomeroy papers on the preservation of the Broadway Theatre Districtat th
New-York Historical Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pomeroy, Lee Harris
20th-century American architects
1932 births
2018 deaths
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute alumni
Yale School of Architecture alumni