Event: Columbia University invites Zaha Hadid

Columbia University is validating its name once more for being an incredible academic institution by offering lectures as this tonight to its students and guests... The Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation is hosting Zaha Hadid to discuss about her recent works and her thoughts about the future in architectural design in line of the recent economic events. Zaha has just launched her recent creation in New York, a Pavilion in Central Park that features objets de la Maison Chanel...  More on this... soon!  

Development: Manhattanville in West Harlem

One of the biggest in size developments that is happening this moment is undisputedly Columbia University's plan to expand its facilities in West Harlem. This urban developement plan consists of 18 academic and research buildings and campus housing on 17 acres. It's not a surprise that the large neighborhood of West Harlem that consists mostly of black and Hispanic residents feels threatened by this grand scheme. Scott Stringer, the Manhattan borough president, is planning to protect the character of the neighborhood by practicing the special zoning model that worked for the Hell's Kitchen region in Midtown Manhattan. Renzo Piano is the assigned designer for the project, who has seeked to maximize green space, which it will be open to the public. The star architect will undeniably elevate the university's image even further. And as the New York Times wrote "without a vibrant Columbia, New York City itself will suffer...".