Renovation provides agile, contemporary collaboration spaces for students and faculty within an historic building.
New York’s renowned acting school is housed in a landmarked, Colonial-style building. The primary goal of this first phase of the renovation, which includes the mezzanine and the cellar levels, was to give the school more active collaboration space.
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A deck was added to the double height void above the former swimming pool, creating three new classrooms, and costume and prop storage.
In the student lounge, with its felt-lined collaboration booths, students can comfortably work, socialize and run lines.
The booths are punctuated by display areas for the school’s many awards and alumnus headshots. A reconfigurable seating system equipped with charging nodes provides seating and tables throughout the space.
The outdated dry cleaner-style costume storage systems were replaced with high-density rolling racks. Props are now stored in the former pool area, which still has its original sloping floor.
Historic elements, such as the purlins in the classrooms, cast iron columns, and the ornamental stair, were preserved.
Sydney, Australia
Tasmania, Australia