Morphosis Selected to Design First Building at CornellNYC Tech

The Cooper Union, designed by Morphosis, in the East Village of New York CityLos Angeles Architect Thom Mayne’s firm Morphosis has been selected as the architect for the first of academic building to be built at Cornell University’s high-tech graduate school campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City. Talking to the New York Times about his latest contract, Mayne said that “The goal here is to develop a one-of-a-kind institution,” adding, “It’s got to start from rethinking — innovating — an environment.” Mayne has made famous work of academic contracts before—most notably the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in the East Village. As for what the new building will look like, Mayne tells the NYT that he hasn’t even seen the site plans yet, but he says, “[I like being able to tell you that I don’t have any bloody idea what it’s going to look like.” Skidmore, Owings & Merrill will continue its work with the 20-year build out of the Master Plan for the new campus. Groundbreaking for the Mayne building is expected by 2014, and project completion is expected by 2017.

An Architect’s Newspaper post has more details about the exciting design and engineering team assembled for the first building: “Morphosis will work with Arup as the engineer on the first building, which the team will design to meet a net-zero energy goal; James Corner is on board for landscape.”

The rendering for the CornellNYC Tech Master Plan courtesy of SOM

New High Line Designs Released; Phase 3 Expected in Spring 2014

Images courtesy of James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro released designs for a third and final phase of the High Line in NYC yesterday. The designs mix enough new ideas into the familiar trope of the elevated walkway weaving between high rises and native plants to ensure that the final extension of the High Line will not disappoint.

According to a post from Architizer, the third phase includes several components: “Spur,” which includes a tiered arena above the junction of 30th Street and 10th Avenue; “Crossroads” which connects Phase 3 with Phase 2; and “Interim Walkway,” a half-loop of preserved train tracks and wild flora, offering the types of views of the East River only available to the High Line.

The "Spur."Some of the best idea-provoking moments on the High Line are the many interactive features that invite visitors to radically rethink the flexibility of uses available in the public sphere. New “peel ups” on Phase 3 include picnic tables, planters, and seesaws—exciting and thoughtful expansions on the signature benches, performance space, and water features of the earlier sections.

"Peel-Ups"
The Friends of the High Line and the city of New York expect the new section to open to the public by Spring of 2014 with a $90 million price tag.