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Originally, the Brooklyn museum had a huge staircase, similar to what many other museums have:
But by 1934, the staircase began to deteriorate. As it had also been considered difficult to climb, they decided to get rid of the staircase. "At the same time, the Museum’s original auditorium, located behind the stairs, was dismantled to create a new entrance lobby on the ground-floor level."
Budgetary problems left the museum building looking like that until 2004, when the Rubin Pavilion was constructed, rectifying the aesthetic imbalance and improving access. "The new 15,000-square-foot shingled-glass pavilion, recalling the staircase of the original McKim, Mead & White entrance, combined with the renovated lobby area of nearly 9,000 square feet, creates an entirely new entrance facility, comprising close to 24,000 square feet. It more than doubles the size of the previous lobby area. Among the amenities is a new, full-service Visitor Center offering information, ticketing, and a range of services to the public." © Brooklyn Museum
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