SCUP/AIA-CAE Excellence in Architecture for a New Building,
Merit Award

Columbia University for the Northwest Corner Building with Aedas

Photo by Michael Moran

Photo by Michael Moran

Click on images for a larger view

The new Northwest Corner Building meets Columbia University’s goals to invest in its natural sciences programs, promote collaboration among scientific disciplines, provide links to other buildings, and create amenities to promote student interaction.

The jury said, “ . . . magnificently detailed building with superb proportions and public spaces of highest quality . . . light in the building is unbelievable . . . this is 5-star architecture . . . “

The building design has its origins in the university’s historic Morningside Heights campus plan designed by McKim, Mead and White. The design objective was to develop fluid connections between street traffic and the campus, elevated 30 feet above street level. The site was occupied by a 4-story gymnasium and enclosed by a perimeter wall that restricted access to the campus.

The majority of the new building had to be built over the structure, while the remaining 65-foot square had to accommodate elevators, mechanical systems, complex structure and program.

Spanning over the gymnasium was a defining gesture of the project. Innovative and integrated planning and scheduling strategies maximized the building’s physically constrained footprint.

While constructing the steel tresses, the gym had to be open during basketball season; however, New York City building code says construction cannot take place over an inhabited space unless a concrete slab exists between the existing and new structure.

To remain on schedule, the 129’ long truss structure was built over the sidewalk and pushed in place above the gym after basketball season and the gym could be closed. A concrete slab was poured over the gym so that construction could continue.

“The Northwest Corner Building helps advance the university’s mission of being one of the world’s most important centers of research with a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for students in many scholarly and professional fields,” says Joseph Mannino, associate vice president for capital project management, Columbia University.

The building completes the outline of the Morningside campus, extending physical bridges to the adjoining buildings, completing a connected ring of all physical science and engineering buildings.

Project Team: Columbia University with Aedas; also Rafael Moneo; Moneo Brock Studio; Arup; Turner Construction; R.A. Heintges & Associates; Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers; Rowan Williams Davies & Irwin; Langan Engineering & Environmental Services; Fisher Marantz Stone; Wolf and Company