NYU School of Law

NYU School of Law

The new building for New York University School of Law is located be¬tween Thompson and Sullivan Streets and consists of two cellar levels and 10 floors of academic classrooms, administrative and lawyering offices, meeting/seminar areas and faculty housing. 
The structural steel superstructure of the building is enclosed with a ma¬sonry cavity wall, cast stone elements and a granite water table. The east elevation of the building from the ground level through the 4th floor re-creates the Judson Church House and a portion of the south facade re-creates the Edgar Allen Poe House; these historic facades preserve the architectural character of the neighborhood. 
The new building’s proximity to these existing historic landmarks required the delicate underpinning of the structures during the excavation and foun¬dation phase. An extension of the existing law school library, located be¬low Sullivan Street, was also underpinned while the library remained open for student use during construction. In addition, the ground water table is located approximately 22 feet below grade and thus the project site was dewatered to accommodate the foundation mat constructed at approxi¬mately 36 feet below grade. Further complicating logistics of the project site were the narrow sidewalk and street widths in Greenwich Village.