Juliana Curran Terian Design Center, Pratt Institute

This nice, image-laden article by Joseph E. Pollack in Architecture Week, describes this small but important addition's "conceptually significant role of providing common space for design disciplines formerly housed in separate buildings."

Approaching the building from across the green, I didn't spot a sore thumb as I expected, nor did I see a designer's attempt to leave his or her architectural mark as boldly as possible. Instead I was met by a sensibly finished rectilinear volume delicately cantilevered over a softly lit entrance.

This form, which houses the building's main exhibition space, seems to float over the approaching steps, as emphasized by the clever use of light underneath the overhead structure. The gallery's two-story glass wall puts student and faculty work on display for the whole quad. It makes the Design Center a stunning focal point without being visually obtrusive to its surroundings.