Bronx Community College About To Get Prettier

The Chronicle of Higher Education is reporting that this Tuesday, 10/21, Bronx Community College will break ground on a new 98,000 foot academic building and library which is expected to cost $102 million.

The new building will be modeled after the original "classical revival" structures which were designed by Stanford White. We think most would agree that this is great news because there's a large chunk of buildings on the campus that were constructed in the 50s and 60s by Marcel Breuer, who was going for a "modernist" look.

BoogieDowner was actually on the campus today to check out the Hall of Fame for Great Americans (which was quite beautiful, but in need of a bit of upkeep... there was actually a bird's nest lodged in one of the light fixtures). The juxtaposition between the gorgeous Stanford White buildings and the tacky Marcel Breuer buildings is really bizarre.

This new building will be one more step towards giving the beautiful campus a more cohesive feel. It will be two stories and hold classrooms and a cafe, as well as a library with a vaulted ceiling - fancy!

The plans have been drawn up by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, a prestigious firm which specializes in the design of retro buildings. Once completed, the building should achieve a silver rating in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Program.

Click here to view a powerpoint on the project put together by Robert A.M. Stern Architects. It's pretty interesting if you can block out the sounds of one guy coughing, clearing his throat, opening a soda, and at one point I think even farting.

*Rendering courtesy of Robert A.M. Stern Architects*

~ErLu