The Maysles / Cafe Melo Expansion Project

Title: The Maysles / Cafe Melo Expansion Project
Creator: Fox, Samantha
Date: 2024-12-09
Description: Final Assignment for ARCH 73100 (Fall 2024)
Language: English
Subject: Maysles Documentary Center; Lenox Avenue; Cafe Melo; Preservation; Community Engagement; Third Space; Leisure; Black Culture
Abstract: This proposal envisions an expansion of Maysles Documentary Center and Cafe Melo, two vital third spaces along Malcolm X Boulevard, into their adjacent buildings. By preserving their cultural significance and enhancing their infrastructure, the project tackles the intertwined challenges of cultural erasure and environmental inequities. The unsustainable practice of allowing buildings to deteriorate, sit vacant, and then be replaced with resource-intensive new construction exacerbates climate challenges and displaces community spaces. Through preservation and environmental updates, this project benefits Harlem’s community needs while addressing the infrastructure’s climate impact, ensuring these third spaces remain pillars of Black life and leisure.