The New School Lobby and Student Lounge

For this new lobby and student lounge at The New School, 1100 Architect transformed the ground floor of a landmarked 1906 commercial building into a contemporary gathering space for multiple floors of classrooms in upper levels of the building. The design emphasizes light, openness, and connection, creating a welcoming environment for students to meet, study, and collaborate. An undulating ceiling guides movement from the entrance toward the elevators, introducing a sense of expansiveness within the building’s limited ceiling height. A restrained palette of materials present the New School’s core colors in support the visual identity of the institution and a modern sensibility is introduced through refined detailing. A new lower-level lounge provides study areas for individual work and collaboration, extending the social capacity of the entrance lobby.