Columbia University Retrofit

10,000 sf

New York, NY

Nearly seventy years of accumulated conduit, cabling, and surface-mounted appliqué had obscured the original McKim, Mead & White infrastructure and interior. As part of the comprehensive retrofit of the McKim, Mead & White–designed Fayerweather and Avery Halls, undertaken to upgrade the school’s physical plant while preserving the building’s historic character, GSAPP undertook a careful process of removing obsolete and nonfunctional mechanical systems, stripping away this buildup to reveal and restore the architectural clarity of the corridor. In their place, new, discreetly integrated systems were installed, transforming the space into a gallery-quality event corridor that now serves as an exhibition venue for student work and public programs.

The corridor sits adjacent to classrooms and administrative offices, which have also undergone renovations tailored to the evolving needs of GSAPP’s diverse programs. Together, these coordinated interventions unify the floor as an academic and social center—a place of exchange, display, and daily life within the school.

PROJECT DESIGN

Douglas Gauthier

COLUMBIA CPM

Manuel Fontan, David Sasscer

COLUMBIA FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS

David Dewhurst, Janet Grapengater

GSAPP TEAM

Mark Taylor, Adam Bandler, Jesse Baxa, Minjae Kim, Riley MacPhee, Christopher Tomasetti

LIGHTING CONSULTANTS

TDA / Tillotson Design Associates, Mark Kubicki

CONTRACTOR

King Rose Construction and Mamais Construction

PHOTOGRAPHY

Ofer Wolberger, Naho Kubota and Minjae Kim