Floyd Bennett Field was New York City’s first municipal airport. Out of service since 1972, the buildings had fallen into disrepair.  Adaptive reuse of the hangers into a modern sports and entertainment facility has reversed years of neglect by restoring the historic materials, finishes and construction techniques that characterize the hangars.

The original hangers were grouped in pairs with masonry buildings connecting and capping each pair to form a long rectangular building.  A new roof connects two of these paired hangers to form the space necessary for the sports complex. The new roof floats over the top of the hanger to expose the historic metal fascia and the curvature of the existing masonry infill facades, preserving the character of the original hangers.  The original structure is replicated to provide a visual continuity between the new and existing spaces. Among the many amenities, including two full basketball courts, two indoor soccer fields, volley ball courts and a climbing wall, is a full size hockey rink with seating for 700 spectators.