Lenfest Center for the Arts
The Lenfest Center for the Arts stands as a defining gateway to the new campus, facing the Small Square and housing key spaces for the School of the Arts and the Wallach Art Gallery. As the artistic centerpiece of Phase I of the campus development, it embodies the integration of cultural spaces within the urban fabric. The building’s design juxtaposes a solid, monolithic structure above a transparent ground floor, creating a striking visual connection between the indoor and outdoor environments. The highly open lobby enhances interaction with the Small Square, inviting engagement from passersby and reinforcing the building’s role as an accessible, public-facing cultural hub.
A stacked program for creativity
The Lenfest Center accommodates a range of presentation spaces tailored for diverse artistic disciplines. These include a 150-seat film screening room, a 99-seat flexible performance space, an exhibition gallery, and a top-floor multipurpose venue designed for symposia, readings, music, and events. This uppermost space benefits from natural light filtering through an overhead skylight. The vertical arrangement of these spaces maximizes the compact footprint while fostering a dynamic environment for artistic exchange.
Transparency and interaction with the city
The building’s carefully placed windows and transparent elements allow for visual connections between its interior and the city beyond. All spaces except the screening room feature south-facing openings, offering views over the Small Square and into the surrounding urban landscape. At night, these windows transform the building into a beacon of activity, showcasing performances, exhibitions, and events. A sophisticated shading system regulates daylight, with motorized shades and a skylight grating ensuring optimal lighting conditions for various artistic needs.
The Lenfest Center’s design embraces color and texture to add depth and vibrancy. While its exterior cladding panels remain a muted off-white, select features—such as stairwells, elevator cabs, and blackout shades—burst with bold colors visible from outside. Exposed steel elements act as decorative "lace," contrasting against the smooth aluminum skin. Structural components, including exterior columns, a suspended canopy, and raised panel fins, cast shifting shadows, introducing an evolving interplay of light and form on the building’s façade.
Project Details
Status
Client
Columbia University
Design
Renzo Piano Building Workshop
in collaboration with Davis Brody Bond LLP (New York), architects
Design Team
A.Chaaya (Partner in charge) with E.Garnaoui (Associate), K.Doerr (Associate), W.Antozzi, S.Drouin (Associate), C.Ruiz, A.Saoud, T.Zamfirescu and G.Glorialanza, C.Sun; O.Aubert, C.Colson, Y.Kyrkos (models)
Consultants
WSP/Parsons Brinkerhoff (structure); Jaros Baum & Bolles (MEP); IBA/Vidaris (façade); James Corner Field Operations (landscape architect); Davis Langdon (cost consultant); VDA (vertical transportation); Arup (lighting, acoustical & vibration design); Fisher Dachs Associates (theater planning & design), Atelier Ten (sustainability); Mueser Rutledge (geotechnical engineer); Stantec (civil engineer); Aggleton & Associates (security); WJE Engineers & Architects (waterproofing); Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (codes); Pentagram (graphics consultant); Boyce Nemec (Audio Visual Consultant)
Environmental Certifications
LEED Gold Certification (2017)
Columbia Manhattanville Development Team
R.Kasdin (SEVP), J.Ienuso (EVP), D.Greenberg (EVP), P.Pitruzzello (SVP), M.Velez (VP), F.Gong (AVP), W.Elmes (AVP), M.Fletcher (AVP), S.Neissen (Director), J.Pepe (Director), D.Cole (Director), F.Giannelli, J.DeCesare, M.Chung, G.Wiener (AVP), R.Akovity, G.Duque
AOR Team
W.Paxson (Partner), J.M.Bond (Partner), J.Henle (Associate Partner), J.Navarro (Sr. Associate), A.Yu (Sr. Associate), D.Zhoung (Sr. Associate), C.Brown, B.Johnson, Z.Kaung, C.Mattern, A.McGee, J.Paxson, A.Pesklevis, M.Sarac
Associate Architect Team
Victor Body-Lawson (Partner), A.Walker (Associate), A.Gladden, O.Prinzivalli
