Transparency, lightness, green roofs: John A. Paulson Center

Given the urban context of New York University’s campus, academic programs function with far less space than peer institutions. Planning studies demonstrated an urgent need for increased space to strengthen the university’s academic culture. In addition to more classrooms, the university needed specialized spaces for its renowned performing arts programs, student and faculty housing, and athletic facilities. The design accommodates NYU’s full program while reducing overall building mass, resulting in greater access to sky and natural light for pedestrians and neighbors. Additional design refinements include the articulation of residential towers with offset volumes, visually reducing the building’s volume while increasing natural light for interior spaces.

The Paulson Center’s design takes advantage of its 360-degree relationship with the neighborhood by placing primary circulation along its transparent perimeter and instructional spaces towards the center. This reversal of conventional building organization provides faculty and students with one-of-a-kind city views while giving outside observers a sense of the building’s activity. This distinct layout creates a sense of openness and connection by encouraging both social and intellectual exchanges that are at the center of the NYU experience. Outside, the design continues to develop connections by creating a new pedestrian “greenway” that links two major thoroughfares along the building’s west side.

Designed in support of NYU’s Climate Action Plan and plans for carbon neutrality by 2040, the building incorporates sustainable design features to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and the amount of waste generated during construction and everyday use. The building is connected to NYU’s Co-Gen plant that simultaneously produces electricity, heat, and chilled water. In contrast to conventional energy sources, the Co-Gen plant substantially reduces the number of resources used, as well as greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants. Based on the projected energy model, the Paulson Center will exceed the 2016 NYC Energy Conservation Code by more than 40% by utilizing waste heat from the plant, a significant project innovation for a large, mixed-use building.

The John A. Paulson Center is a 68,000 square meter mixed-use academic building that sets a new paradigm for multi-use university facilities. The new building embodies the vibrancy and character of New York University, while offering new ways to engage, learn, work, play, and live. Designed to optimize interactions between diverse student groups and academic disciplines, the building includes classrooms; performing arts theaters, teaching, rehearsal, and practice rooms; athletic facilities for varsity sports and recreation; and housing for students and faculty. Each of these spaces is organized into unique “neighborhoods” connected by an expansive Commons that provides collaborative gathering spaces. The building envelope was designed to optimize natural light and view while limiting solar gain and glare, reducing bird strikes, and serving the building’s environmental objectives.

Angled curtain wall panels punctuate the exterior of the building, shifting light and shadow, creating a distinct and textured façade. The orientation of these wedges has been tailored to the building’s unique solar exposure, allowing for self-shading of direct low sun angles, while maintaining an abundance of natural light. The wedges frame distinctive city views and create window benches in the student housing towers.

Emphasizing transparency, lightness, green roofs, and common spaces, the Paulson Center’s design gracefully accommodates its many uses. Though slimmer and 20% smaller than allowed by City approvals process, the building meets NYU’s pressing academic needs, fosters connection between people, makes NYU’s vibrancy and diversity visible for observers, reinforces NYU’s connection to the city, and is mindful of our neighbors and neighborhood. A building of which NYU can be proud.

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The Paulson Center's transparent facade takes advantage of the building's 360-degree relationship with the neighborhood and lets the building rely primarily on natural light for circulation spaces throughout the day.

Connie Zhou / JBSA

Angled curtain wall panels punctuate the exterior of the building. This design feature creates a distinct and textured facade that shifts light and shadow while reducing solar gain.

Connie Zhou / JBSA

The building’s open and inviting northern entrances along Mercer, Greene, and Bleecker Streets lead to a welcoming public lobby that forms a campus and neighborhood meeting space.

Connie Zhou / JBSA

The building is organized into "neighborhoods" connected to an open and expansive commons area that serves as crossroads and destination – the heart of the building.

Connie Zhou / JBSA

The orchestral ensemble room balances light and views with stringent requirements for acoustical isolation and sound quality, taking full advantage of its elevated position in the city.

Connie Zhou / JBSA

The 350-seat Iris Cantor Theatre is NYU's first professional-level proscenium theatre for performing arts teaching and student productions. Its Broadway-sized stage and fly tower can be transformed into a music concert hall perfectly sized and tuned to a

Connie Zhou / JBSA

By placing primary circulation along its transparent perimeter and instructional spaces towards the center, faculty and students have access to one-of-a-kind city views while giving outside observers a sense of the building’s activity.

Connie Zhou / JBSA

Designed as an intersection between the public academic realm and the private student housing realm, the sixth floor Sky Lobby serves as a hub for student residents, offering gathering, dining, and roof terrace spaces that are also available to the greate

Connie Zhou / JBSA

New student housing at the Paulson Center greatly enhances NYU’s residential portfolio, adding suites in a mix of singles, double, and triple bedrooms to house a total of 407 first year students and 18 resident advisors.

Connie Zhou / JBSA

The shape and placement of facade wedges optimize natural light and view while reducing solar gain and glare. As an added benefit, they frame distinctive New York City views and create window seats in the student housing towers.

Connie Zhou / JBSA

The new athletic and recreation facility is a multi-dimensional destination for varsity athletes and general recreation users. The center features NCAA regulation spaces that accommodate athletic competitions as well as large events such as graduation cer

Connie Zhou / JBSA

Soffits on the underside of cantilevered towers are photographic references to the dappled light and landscape of Washington Square Park, providing a visual connection between the iconic park at the center of NYU’s campus and the new Paulson Center to the

Connie Zhou / JBSA

Ground floor entrances on all four sides of the building provide access to academic spaces, athletics, performing arts, student housing, and faculty housing.

Davis Brody Bond | KieranTimberlake

All entrances lead to the Commons, located one floor above street level. Immediately adjacent are performing arts, academic, and collaborative study spaces.

Davis Brody Bond | KieranTimberlake

Housed in the lower levels, the new athletic and recreation facility is a multi-dimensional destination for varsity athletes and general recreation users.

Davis Brody Bond | KieranTimberlake

At the 6th floor, academic and music spaces begin to transition to student housing with a large terrace forming a green gathering space.

Davis Brody Bond | KieranTimberlake

Student housing is positioned to the north, proximate to the center of NYU’s campus, and faculty housing is to the south, in a high-rise tower along Houston Street.

Davis Brody Bond | KieranTimberlake

The building envelope is tuned to specific program needs - academic, faculty housing, and student housing (from left to right above) – employing geometry, opacity, and frit to optimize view and light, reduce solar heat gain, and eliminate bird strikes.

Davis Brody Bond | KieranTimberlake

The Paulson Center’s intensively multi-use program is organized into “neighborhoods” that offer intuitive wayfinding and community among diverse users.

Davis Brody Bond | KieranTimberlake

The African Grove Theatre is a permanent and evolving memorial to the first Black theater in the United States, located on the current site of the Paulson Center in 1821. Student residential and roof terraces are above, and other performing arts programs

Davis Brody Bond | KieranTimberlake

The Iris Canter Theatre is NYU's first professional-level proscenium theatre for performing arts teaching and student productions. Above is a black box “warehouse” theatre and music practice rooms.

Davis Brody Bond | KieranTimberlake

The Paulson Center is positioned along Houston Street, where Greenwich Village meets Soho, forming a southern gateway to NYU’s campus.

Davis Brody Bond | KieranTimberlake

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Since its founding in 1952, Davis Brody Bond has been among the nation’s leading architectural design practices. With offices in New York City and Washington, DC, Davis Brody Bond is led by five partners who work closely with a staff of architects, planners, and designers. The firm is drawn to projects that explore the challenges of urban sites and context, and much of this work has been in partnership with institutions located in dense urban settings. // Founded in 1984, KieranTimberlake brings together the experience and talents of over 100 professionals of diverse backgrounds and abilities in a practice that is recognized worldwide. Projects include the programming, planning, and design of new structures as well as the conservation, renovation, and transformation of existing buildings, with special expertise in education, government, arts and culture, civic, and residential projects.

https://kierantimberlake.com/