New School U. Expands
NEW YORK — The New School University recently introduced a plan to build a $353 million, 365,000-square-foot university hub on its Greenwich Village campus.
The university center will provide academic space, an auditorium, a central university library and a 608-bed dormitory. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of New York, the center will feature a brass exterior shell and serve as a focal point for student life at the university.
The 16-story building will replace a structure designed as a department store in 1951. Two below-grade floors will house several lecture halls, a cafe and an extension of street-level retail space. An at-grade auditorium will feature moveable walls to accommodate different seating arrangements and a retractable runway for student exhibitions.
The dormitory will have a secure 24-hour entrance and sit atop the academic floors.
The university center was designed to achieve at least LEED Gold certification and will employ highly efficient energy, water and waste systems, according to designers. Classrooms will maximize daylight harvesting through clerestory windows and light shelves.
“Urban universities face special challenges, particularly in a space-starved city like New York,” says James Murtha, New School executive vice president. “To accommodate the growth of important programs within our limited footprint, we convened students and faculty over a period of years for a design that embraces the culture of dialogue and debate, which is a New School hallmark.”
Taking advantage of relatively low current construction costs, the building will be financed through a combination of bonds, donations, federal grants and asset sales.
Project team members include developer The Durst Organization, Tishman Construction and SLCE Architects, all of New York. Construction is scheduled to begin in August and finish in time for the fall 2013 semester.