The University Center, designed by lead architect, Roger Duffy, at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), has produced a distinctively urban building, respectful but not obsequious. The building combines all aspects of a traditional campus into a single, 16-story building, offering 200,000 sq. feet of academic space on the first seven floors and 150,000 sq. feet for a 600-bed dormitory on the levels above. The brass-and-glass structure is the largest construction project in the university’s 91-year history in Greenwich Village.
Knowledge gets crammed into the brain or vaporized in the cloud, but the institutions that feed on it need plenty of actual space. As NYU devours the Village, Columbia infiltrates Manhattanville, Fordham grows new towers, and Cornell annexes Roosevelt Island, it sometimes seems as if Manhattan is turning into a single giant campus.
.../...Here, Duffy has tweaked that international vocabulary for a busy corner on a city block. Angled windows and brass panels form an undulating façade with sedimentary bands like a canyon streaked with ore. The brass, its glow already muted by a patina, will darken and soften further over the years so its character will deepen as it ages, like a human face.
By Justin Davidson. The New York Times, Feb 9, 2014.
Project description by architects
Located at the intersection of 14th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan, this new multipurpose facility is intended to become the “heart” of The New School. The LEED® Gold building will provide space for all aspects of a traditional campus, with 200,000 square feet of academic space on the first seven floors and 150,000 square feet for a 600-bed dormitory on the levels above.
Interactive spaces are dispersed vertically throughout the section to activate all levels of the building. Tying them all together are three iconic stairs that weave their way through the building, providing ample opportunities for encounters. This structure creates hives of activity that are traced along the facade with large glass windows. In between these interactive zones are long, loft-style spaces that house 50,000 square feet of design studios, classrooms, and computing labs. These flexible spaces can be renovated or reconfigured with no impact on power, data, or lighting.
The extensive academic program includes 19 fashion studios, 17 drawing studios, 12 classrooms, and seven science labs. Virtually all schools and departments are represented in this building. Program adjacencies are intentionally planned to promote collaboration and spontaneous interactions within generous circulation and social spaces. The building also includes an 800-seat auditorium, a common central library, a large cafeteria, a 2,200-square-foot faculty resource room in addition to 15 faculty offices, three student lounges, and a lobby/cafe space on two levels, with provisions for music performances.
CREDITS.
Architect.- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, New York - Roger Duffy, FAIA.
Design Partner.- Mark Regulinski, AIA. Managing Director.- Chris McCready, AIA. Project Manager.- Jon Cicconi, AIA. Senior Design Architect.- Colin Koop, AIA. Senior Design Architect.- Angelo Arzano, AIA. Senior Technical Coordinator.- Kimberly Garcia, AIA. Technical Coordinator. Residential Architect.- SLCE Architects.
Construction Manager: Tishman. MEP Engineer: Cosentini Associates.- Structural Engineer: DeSimone Consulting Engineers. Civil Engineer: Langan Environmental & Engineering Services. Lighting: Brandston Partnership. LEED Consultant: Buro Happold. NYSERDA Consultant: ADS Engineers. IT/AV/Security: Shen Milson Wilke. Vertical TransportationL Van Deusen Associates. Commissioning: Fulcrum. Blackwater System: Alliance Environmental. Energy Modeling: Buro Happold. Acoustics: Cerami Associates. Food Service: Cini Little. Facade Maintenance: Entek. Theater: Fisher Dachs Associates. Code Consulting & Expeditor: Milrose. Signage: Integral Reudi Baur Paris. Schedule & Cost Management: ProjectConsult.
Owner.- The New School.
Developer.- The Durst Organization.
Project Area.- 370,000 ft²
Number of Stories.- 16 .
Project Completion: 2013.
