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PHOTOS: A look inside the revamped Gowanus Batcave as it opens as Powerhouse Arts

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The old Gowanus Batcave has been revamped as a brand-new arts hub dubbed Powerhouse Arts.
Photo by Susan de Vries

The architecturally curious were able to finally get a glimpse inside the long-awaited reincarnation of the Gowanus Batcave as Powerhouse Arts on Sunday.

Years in the making, the former Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company Central Power Station Engine House building at 153 2nd St. was transformed into an arts hub that retains some of the old, including graffiti, with a new addition.

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The cavernous space retains its old charm and characteristics while welcoming a new era. Photo by Susan de Vries
powerhouse arts
The Great Hall at the new Powerhouse Arts.

The open house, organized in conjunction with Open House New York, allowed visitors to roam both old and new. The transformation was designed by architects PBDW Architects and Herzog & de Meuron.

Up a new staircase is the original space that once held the massive machinery for the engine house and was a canvas for artists in the early 2000s. Now dubbed the Grand Hall, the space is ringed by bits of old graffiti, while the enormous arched windows provide views of a changing Gowanus.

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Old graffiti still decorates the walls in the Great Hall. Photo by Susan de Vries

Spaces in the new addition include the Loft and the Small Hall. Art was on display for the open house while both spaces and the Grand Hall will be available for rent for exhibitions, fashion shows, and other events.

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Paintings and ceramics on display in the Small Hall. Photo by Susan de Vries
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The revamped building will host art exhibitions, classes, and more. Photo by Susan de Vries

Also in the new addition are the fabrication facilities, including ones for printmaking and ceramics.

Outside, recently planted and yet to be landscaped spots along the canal were fenced off, but a stroll around the building showed traces of faded graffiti still in evidence.

This story first appeared on Brooklyn Paper’s sister site Brownstoner