Design Brief

In 1832 the first class at NYU was held in Lower Manhattan, since then New York University (NYU) and Greenwich Village have shared a close and intertwined relationship that has developed over many decades. NYU’s main campus, Washington Square Campus, is located in the heart of Greenwich Village, which is a historic and vibrant neighborhood in Manhattan. The integration of academia and community life is a defining feature of this longstanding and dynamic relationship. The only exception to this is the existing Slab superblock, which is an uncomfortable blemish on the current relationship between the community of Greenwich Village and the University. These two massive buildings break up the flow from the north side of greenwich village and Washington Square Park and the south side in a way that feels very uninviting to anyone who isn’t a resident. Given the opportunity to right this wrong in the neighborhood, we began with one simple concept.

A Handshake. This metaphorical handshake between the community and academia which stems all the way back to 1832 when the first class took place in the neighborhood. The handshake represents an idea of understanding that although this land is owned by NYU it really belongs with the Village. In our proposal we articulate this concept into the structural of the superblock. A central hub with public access to dining halls, markets, and garden spaces on lower levels morphs into a residential tower once you reach the 9th floor. Branching out from central hub there is a series of rings and loops which is accessible to students and faculty that wrap through and around the central tower which act as public/private space that will feature study spaces, student resources, and classrooms. As the tower reaches higher into the sky it becomes resident only student housing.

Project Images

× ‹

›