Founded in 1892 in a brownstone in Midtown, the Spence School is one of Manhattan’s best known secondary educational institutions for girls. The school’s facility on East 91st Street was in need of updates that would match the quality of the school’s academic and extracurricular programs.

After a 2001 master plan by FXCollaborative, a phased renovation began, including the construction of new classrooms, art rooms, a studio theatre, and key gathering and circulation areas. FDA consulted on the design of a new studio theatre for the school, which is flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of activities, performances, rehearsals and other special events throughout the school year.