NYU Philosophy Department

 university, interesting place, 1891_construction, department of philosophy

6-story university building completed in 1891. Designed by Alfred Zucker as a commercial loft building with a sandstone and terra-cotta facade. The 2-story base section has a pair of round-arched entrances facing Washington Place, each framed by large columns, and shallow balustraded balconies at the 2nd floor. Carved faced decorate the piers at the top of the 2nd floor. The upper floors have narrow columns around the window bays, and a stone cornice above the 4th floor. A larger, bracketed cornice caps the south facade, with the end piers extending up above the roof line.

On the Mercer Street side, the facade is plainer, with five bays of recessed windows broken into pairs between slightly projecting main piers, and band courses across the 2nd & 4th floors in lieu of cornices. A corbelled string course runs just below the roof, which is capped by a terra-cotta coping that dips down in the center.

The building was acquired by NYU in 1965 and converted to a classroom and general education building, now housing the Philosophy Department. It underwent extensive interior alterations from 2004-07 by Steven Holl Architects. The lower floor was turned into an auditorium lecture hall with adjoining lobby space while the upper levels contain offices and seminar rooms which are done in different shades and textures according to the text “Remarks on Colour" by Ludwig Wittgenstein. Connecting the floors is a new 6-level staircase which is composed of perforated panels that allow light to pass through.

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