New York University has recently revealed the design of a new $1 billion development comprising a gym, a swimming pool, performance theaters, and classrooms at 181 Mercer Street. The 735,000-sf building will include a variety of academic facilities and be topped by faculty and student housing towers, TheRealDeal.com reports.
An all-glass façade allows people to see directly into the hallways and staircases that circle the perimeter of the structure. The building will be about 300 feet long and sit on what is dubbed a ‘super block.’
There will be 58 general-purpose classrooms and the largest theater will be able to seat 350 people. Additionally, the new building will house NYU’s first orchestral ensemble room. 7,500 sf of the project will be used for a public atrium and community events.
NYU is excited about the proposed building, but others have taken issue with it. Neighborhood activists worry that the building will be an eyesore and the land the project is designated for should instead be used for a park. Despite these protests, a court decision in 2015 gave the development the all clear to move forward.
Currently, the Coles Sports and Recreation building is in the process of being demolished to make room for the new building. This phase is expected to be completed in early February 2017. Excavation, which includes the removal of existing foundation, rock, and soil, will then begin and continue for about seven months. After that, foundation work will continue through late 2018. Enclosure of the building is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2020. Finally, interior construction and landscaping will take place, with the entire project scheduled for completion in late 2021.
Davis Brody Bond and KieranTimberlake are the architects for the project. Turner Construction Co. is the contractor.
Rendering courtesy of StudioAMD
Rendering courtesy of StudioAMD
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Mar 2, 2015
Nevada moves to suspend prevailing wage rules on school projects
The Nevada Senate approved a bill that would suspend prevailing wage rules on school projects.
K-12 Schools | Mar 1, 2015
Are energy management systems too complex for school facility staffs?
When school districts demand the latest and greatest, they need to think about how those choices will impact the district’s facilities employees.
Architects | Feb 27, 2015
5 finalists announced for 2015 Mies van der Rohe Award
Bjarke Ingels' Danish Maritime Museum and the Ravensburg Art Museum by Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei are among the five projects vying for the award.
K-12 Schools | Feb 26, 2015
Should your next school project include a safe room?
Many school districts continue to resist mandating the inclusion of safe rooms or storm shelters in new and existing buildings. But that may be changing.
K-12 Schools | Feb 26, 2015
Construction funding still scarce for many school districts
Many districts are struggling to have new construction and renovation keep pace with student population growth.
K-12 Schools | Feb 26, 2015
D.C.'s Dunbar High School is world's highest-scoring LEED school, earns 91% of base credits
The 280,000-sf school achieved 91 points, out of 100 base points possible for LEED, making it the highest-scoring school in the world certified under USGBC’s LEED for Schools-New Construction system.
K-12 Schools | Feb 25, 2015
Polish architect designs modular ‘kids city’ kindergarten using shipping container frames
Forget the retrofit of a shipping container into a building for one moment. Designboom showcases the plans of Polish architect Adam Wiercinski to use just the recycled frames of containers to construct a “kids city.”
University Buildings | Feb 23, 2015
Future-proofing educational institutions: 5 trends to consider
In response to rapidly changing conditions in K-12 and higher education, institutions and school districts should consider these five trends to ensure a productive, educated future.
University Buildings | Feb 20, 2015
Penn strengthens campus security by reviving its surrounding neighborhood
In 1996, the University of Pennsylvania’s sprawling campus in Philadelphia was in the grip of an unprecedented crime wave. But instead of walling themselves off from their surrounding neighborhoods, the school decided to support the community.
University Buildings | Feb 18, 2015
Preparing for the worst: Campus security since Virginia Tech
Seven years after the mass shootings at Virginia Tech, colleges and universities continue to shake up their emergency communications and response capabilities to shootings and other criminal threats.
