The Seward Park Area is one of the oldest sections in the city. For decades this part of town was the center of the melting pot for newcomers. Half a century ago this neighborhood was occupied by the elite professionals and intellectuals of the new immigrants. Naturally the second and third generations of the new immigrants moved to the other parts of the city, living behind the old and the weak. Eventually the neighborhood deteriorated into a slum was heavily congested with buildings, which contributed to the spread of disease. The Seward Park was designed to eliminate the slums that were present in the area.

The idea behind the project was to mimic the old movement of people through the site. The performance center is meant to bring back the life and energy to the place, at the same time respecting the existing library and recreation building. The new addition looks as though the existing buildings are compressing it in the middle. The building splits into five "fingers". Each finger is meant for different function. One is for the cafe, another for the theater and backstage support and the last one is for the library and the media rooms. Where the fingers split is where the entrances to the building are. There are many entrances because each programmatic element can function on its own while others are closed.