The school’s heart is the Great Space, a 118-foot, two story atrium and a hub of activity. The Great Space accommodates lectures and critiques, but is flexible enough to also be used for a variety of schoolwide events: symposiums, celebrations, career fairs, parties, thesis reviews, frisbee matches and the Beaux Arts Ball. Its floors have been adorned with student art and once, the gridded streets ofManhattan. Large, moveable walls (called “Cronraths”, after former Dean David Cronrath, who had them installed) create incredible spatial flexibility and wall space for studio reviews. The mezzanine level above is adorned with a curated collection of exemplary student work throughout the year, creating a venue to share projects with the larger community.
The Great Space is flanked by the student studios, providing a front-row seat to the various activities and milestones that rotate in and out of the Great Space year-round.