Architecture Meets ... the Diana Center

For my first post, it's only fitting that I introduce a building that is changing the way one Manhattan college interacts with the storied neighborhood where its campus resides.

As the oft-forgotten sister of Columbia, Barnard College is a small all-female liberal arts school known for its selective admissions and academic standards. What's most interesting about this school, however, is its ability to adapt its campus to the small four acre parcel of land between 116th and 120th streets in Morningside Heights. Wedged between Claremont Ave and Broadway, the dozen building school is dwarfed by the nearby Columbia campus and bordered by a four lane thoroughfare, rendering it nearly unnoticeable, save for the fortress that is the Vincent Kling designed McIntosh Center. A towering structure of concrete and dark glass, the building seems harsh admist the low rise brick-and-stones surrounding it, adding insult (and an eyesore) to the already beleaguered campus. And thus, with a disconjointed plan and spaces that harbor little connectivity (both in design and flow), it looked as if Barnard would be destined to remain Columbia's ugly stepsister.

Then, came the Diana Center. Designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects, this 110,000 sq foot student center came to answer Barnard's call for a modern space and public design that had been lacking in the college's repertoire for so long. A six story structure clad in terra cotta glass, the structure's transclucence stands in stark contrast to the weathered concrete of the McIntosh Center it abutts. The diagonal atria extends from the lawn and ascends through the building, drawing the eye upward as the lines bring the exterior into the interior.

The program features an intriguing layering of functions, including a black box theater, a 500-seat performance space, a cafe, a dining room, a library, classrooms, and exhibition galleries. Social and cultural activities are linked vertically by a series of stairs and internal views, revealing the activities within. The green roof provides additional public space for students, as well as adding a touch of nature to the otherwise urban landscape. The exterior lawns, as well, provide a recessed and ascending outdoor program that allow students much needed outdoor sitting and studying areas. The glass facade of the center ensures that light moves through and around the building, providing relief for the clustered space of the tiny campus.

For a more in depth view of the Diana Center, see Metropolis Magazine's article found here.