Pace University, 15 Beekman Street

ARO is designing a vertical campus on the lower 11 floors of 15 Beekman Street, a new, 26-story tower that will strengthen Pace University’s Manhattan campus. The student-centered programs include dining facilities, the library and archives, a learning center, classrooms, and a new home for the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

Designed to be an inviting, purposeful, and cohesive experience for students, faculty, and visitors, the project is grounded in extensive engagement with multiple university stakeholders to fulfill Pace’s vision of a 21st-Century urban campus. Programs are distributed to break down academic silos and activate the entire building with shared spaces to support multiple modes of learning, teaching, and collaboration.

The interiors are loft-like in character, with exposed structural columns, floor slabs, ducts, and pipes throughout. Each floor features large windows and a consistent palette of timeless, durable materials, details, and natural lighting.

A new residence hall above is being designed by the base building architect. ARO consulted to Pace on the plans and the exterior appearance of the building, which is being designed and constructed by the developer SL Green. Construction on the building began in 2021, construction of the ARO-designed interiors begins in late 2022 and will be completed in mid-2023.