New York Law School
For an urban law school in the heart of a bustling financial district, the opportunity to connect the teaching of law with its real-world practice surrounding it is a strong impulse. For New York Law School, SmithGroup devised an architectural and urban response to its bustling site, which has been a key component of the school's Lower Manhattan identity.
Client
New York Law School
Location
New York, New York
Markets/Services
Architecture, Higher Education, Interiors, Lighting Design, MEP Engineering, Professional Education, Programming
Size
209,000 SF
Featured Awards
2010 Award for Excellence in Architecture, Virginia Society AIA
2010 Award of Merit in Institutional Architecture, AIA Northern Virginia
2010 International Interior Design Association Mid-Atlantic Chapter, Gold Award, Educational/Institutional
Greater New York Construction User Council, Chairman’s Reception Top Project of 2010 (submitted by contractor)
New York Construction, “Best Project Management” (submitted by contractor)
New York Construction, “Higher Education/Research, Project of the Year” (submitted by contractor)
The new building is an embodiment of our ideals. It presents a vibrant, activist, transparent face to the world and simultaneously houses the deep, collaborative culture of our school. Every nook and cranny of the building provides a place for faculty, students, and staff to work together and leverage technology to bring resources to the school and to share our knowledge with those outside our walls. We now have a place that makes our credo ‘Learn Law and Take Action’ come alive.
Richard A. Matasar
Dean and President , New York Law School
The school’s existing facilities consisted of disconnected and incongruent structures, including several 19th-century buildings that were never appropriately adapted for contemporary legal education. Working with BKSK Architects, the design team opened walls and used transparency and connections to link the school's three buildings.
Careful and creative uses of limited real estate have helped maximize the law school’s facilities while creating a better sense of community and school image. Many of the design ideas were meant to support its values and legacy of moral obligation, collaboration and public service. The result is a new civic icon for the TriBeCa neighborhood – and built proof of the school's commitment to advancing the legal profession, lifelong learning, and activism.
