30 in 30: #13

The last Pratt building in this series is another piece that knits old buildings, in this case for the School of Architecture.



After Higgins Hall was severely damaged in a 1996 fire, Rogers Marvel Architects started reconstruction work on the interiors. Later Steven Holl was hired to design a new center wing. His design uses his now signature channel glass for the main facade. The horizontal bands that extend left and right from the Mondrian-esque glass composition follow the floor lines of the existing. Behind the clear glass portion, then, is the ramp that connects these levels.



According to Holl's web page, "brick from the burned section is recycled into a slumped brick and concrete base forming an entrance and viewing terrace." This small plaza provides seating in various ways, among them a bench built into the entry vestibule, at bottom. It's these and other details that makes Holl's architecture highly functional and memorable, even if it's a bit repetitious (see also Nelson-Atkins and Cranbrook) these days.



Unfortunately on this visit, like the Terian Design Center, access to the interior was limited to the lobby. A trek further requires a student ID.



Directions:
The school can be reached by the 4, 5 to Fulton Street; the A,C to Hoyt-Schermerhorn; the G to Clinton-Washington. The building is on the corner of Lafayette Avenue and St. James Place.

Previously:
#1 - Church of the Crucifixion
#2 - 40 Mercer Residences
#3 - Dichroic Light Field
#4 - Juan Valdez Flagship
#5 - IAC/InterActiveCorp
#6 - South Court of NYPL
#7 - Louis Vuitton Store
#8 - Ironworkers Local 580
#9 - Korean Presbyterian Church
#10 - Roosevelt Island
#11 - Stabile Hall (Pratt)
#12 - Terian Design Center (Pratt)