New York University Master Plan
New York, NY, USA
2009

The NYU Strategic Planning Initiative aims to develop an overarching vision for NYU’s campus expansion over the next twenty-five years that will meet the university’s growing academic and housing space needs while preserving the neighborhood character, diversity, and historic architecture of downtown Manhattan. The expansion is situated at six million square feet, which would be concentrated in the Greenwich Village area, but would potentially include satellite locations elsewhere in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The design began with a process of programmatic study and discussion, both internally and with community groups. This analysis and rethinking of NYU’s current organization led to the development of guiding principles and approaches for future growth.

Because of the space constraints in the Greenwich Village area, we have been required to be creative in meeting space needs in a tight urban setting. This includes increasing the density of existing NYU properties so as not to create an overwhelming presence in the community, and prioritizing spaces that serve the student population. At the street level, the plan also aims to improve existing open spaces and energize the streetscape by increasing ground-level retail, opening existing buildings to the street, and exhibiting public art. The remote locations create opportunities for future growth and more flexibility for experimentation with new collaborative academic approaches.

Credits:

Design Team: Toshiko Mori, Joshua Uhl, Rick Lam, David Jaubert, Landon Brown
Structural / MEP: Grimshaw Architects, Arup
Landscape: Michael van Valkenburgh Associates