It was my second visit to the PAC NY. I went specifically to see the Es Devlin show CONGREGATION. I have been following Devlin’s career since her theater days in London. I’m a fan. The PAC NY elevates the World Trade Center complex (WTC) in Lower Manhattan, with a low key sophistication. It offers a variety of events, ticketed and free. For any resident, local professional, or visitor to New York City, PAC NY invites you to pause your day and step in. After shopping at the Oculos or the Brookfield Place, trade the pavement for the lounge, where you can take a moment to refresh with a snack. If the mood strikes, sit at the bar and try one of the classic or theatrical cocktails that promises a memorable break. As you are already at Metropolis, the very chic American restaurant by the acclaimed chef Marcus Samuelsson, perhaps you could try a dish that promises culinary excellence and remarkable flavor.
Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson | PAC NY
Metropolis, designed by David Rockwell, offers a warm dining room, a bar, and a landscaped outdoor terrace. The lobby lounge that features free public artistic programming, perfect for a drink after your workday or an apéritif before dinner. Plan your trip or just casually walk in to daily performances on the Vartan and Clare Gregorian Stage. A curated mix of musicians, DJs, hip-hop artists includes Annie Ohayon, Shaan Ramaprasad and Susannah Khoran of Park Avenue Artists, and Flako Modesto of ¡OYE! Group.
After indulging on a cocktail, I was ready for Es Devlin’s CONGREGATION show, part of the Icons of Culture, a three-night 2025 festival celebrating Women in Front. This series of high-profile conversations features innovators, creators, and game changers—all women—discussing how they shaped culture and influenced society.
It was memorable to speak with Es Devlin after her talk. CONGREGATION (Oct. 29 – Nov. 1, 2025) is Es Devlin’s monumental tiered sculpture that rises dramatically within the space, often compared to an internal choir seating structure installation. It offers a moving encounter, transforming into a sculpture that projects the luminous chalk and charcoal portraits of fifty Londoners who have faced forced displacement from their homelands. Devlin’s work is a collaboration with its subjects, who co-authored the animated sequences within their likenesses, presenting a magnificent, collective portrait accompanied by an evocative soundscape that fuses diverse choral traditions.
Each striking portrait is not a static image but illuminates the individual faces. Crucially, each co-author (sitter) is depicted holding a small, illuminated box containing a personalized, projected animated film sequence that they collaboratively devised with Devlin, transforming the portrait into a dynamic, luminous narrative of their journey and spirit. The result is a striking fusion of architecture, visual art, and sound, celebrating the enduring gifts and human dignity of those who bring their global roots to a new city.
The installation is accompanied by a soundscape, composed by Polyphonia, that transforms the space into a place of contemplation and connection. The auditory experience often includes the voices of the 50 co-authors themselves, interwoven with poetry by Kinshasa-born poet JJ Bola (who also sat for a portrait). The music fuses various classical and contemporary sources, including Max Richter’s Recomposed (a reinterpretation of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons) and Anton Bruckner’s sacred motet Locus iste (Latin for “This place”), all designed to echo the diverse and global roots of the congregation being depicted.
PAC NY currently presents A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Nov 23 – Jan. 4,.2026), a celebrated London The Old Vic production of Charles Dickens. This is no ordinary staging; it’s a uniquely intimate and immersive experience designed to wrap the audience right into the holiday action, inviting a powerful communal spirit. It combines two of PAC NY’s stages. At the helm of this profuction are two visionary Tony Award winners: playwright Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) and director Matthew Warchus (Matilda The Musical). Together, they deliver a magical interpretation of the timeless classic, brimming with merriment, tasty treats, and unforgettable holiday cheer.
PAC NY also currently offers ARTISTIC INITIATIVES: a commissioning that supports new performing arts, different initiatives at THE DEMOCRACY CYCLE: a five-year period initiative championing Democracy, launched in January 2024, in a partnership with the Civis Foundation.
Applications are OPEN.
The program will fund and develop 25 new performing arts works (theater, dance, music, opera, and multi-disciplinary performances) that illuminate the promise, practice, and opportunity of democracy. Works will be selected through three annual Open Calls in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
About PAC NY
PAC NYC is a 129,000 square foot multi-level building designed by the NYC architect Joshua Ramus Team – REX. Its performance space is highly flexible, offering three theater areas that can be combined to create dozens of seating configurations. See the building’s flexible internal mechanics in action:
What’s On Season2025 – 2026
PAC NY offers Opera, Music, Dance, Theater, Musical Theater, Multi-disciplinary and Conversation
Lobby Stage PAC NYC ICONS OF CULTURE2025
VISIT
Metropolis Restaurant by Marcus Samuelsson
Ticket Savings Program
Multi-Show Discount, under 30 years old, Responder Discount (US military, police officers, firefighters and nurses and beyond), Educator Discount, Student Discount & Become a Member Program.
Group Sales
Current production: A Christmas Carol – Nov 23—Dec 28, 2025. Priority access to the best prices and seats:
Plan with confidence (modify your order until final payment). Groups save up to 20%. Student groups save 50%. Additional savings on fees.
Accessibility
Explore the WTC area
PAC NY – Perelman Performing Arts Center New York
Phone: 212 266 3000
Plan Your Trip
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