At the 35th Annual Awards for Excellence in Design ceremony, Mayor Bill de Blasio presented the college with an award for the design of the new academic building to be constructed on West 28th Street. Projects selected for recognition by the city’s Public Design Commission were honored for their sustainable spaces and how they enhance neighborhoods and preserve New York City history.
FIT’s new building, which will feature a glass facade giving passersby a view of the college life inside, was chosen because it “reflects FIT’s commitment to openness, community engagement, and the robust exchange of ideas across many platforms.” Designed by the award-winning New York firm SHoP Architects, the building will be constructed within the footprint of the existing campus, and will open onto West 28th Street. The LEED silver-certified structure will incorporate sustainable practices throughout and will include both academic and student-life spaces.
“The best public projects are purposeful and use design to build a sense of community and civic pride,” Mayor de Blasio said.
The ceremony, which was part of NYCxDesign—the annual citywide celebration of art and design from around the world, in which FIT is a partner—was also attended by Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, Public Design Commission President Signe Nielsen, and Executive Director of the Commission Justin Moore. President Joyce F. Brown accepted the award with SHoP Architects principal Bill Sharples.
“By integrating key principles of good design with sustainable practices and materials, these projects will regenerate the city’s natural environment, improve services to the public, and offer inspirational artworks and educational programming,” Nielsen said.
This year’s awards also recognized the reconstruction of Downtown Far Rockaway, in Queens; the Tottenville Shoreline Protection project, in Staten Island; NYPD’s Bomb Squad Building; the Taxi and Limousine Commission’s new Woodside facility; the Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center; the Cubes at Socrates Sculpture Park, in Queens; and the conservation and relocation of three WPA-era murals. (See all the winning projects here.)
