COOKFOX brought its thinking about wellness and connection to nature in dense urban environments to this very contemporary, high-service building. Another huge part of the design thinking was working with the administration, students and alumni to understand Marymount’s history and culture and to reflect it in the school design. Having occupied three adjoining, older townhouses along Central Park for nearly a century, Marymount was eager for more space with flexibility and innovation to stay at the forefront of education.
Image Courtesy of: Ines Leong
Construction was mid-block on the Upper East Side; fitting a new, 10-story building between Park and Lexington Avenues, 97th to 98th Street, itself a significant accomplishment.
From the front door, the entry and lobby are starkly modern, with dramatic light strips that radiate from a series of columns. A grand staircase is an organizing element in the building.
Image Courtesy of: Ines Leong
Key curricula spaces include a maker-space on the ground floor, science labs, art and music rooms, and a light-filled library that looks south across the city.
COOKFOX designed Informal, flexible areas on the upper floors where the students do independent work, meet and spend time; these interstitial spaces are well-used throughout the day.
The chapel may be one of the most iconic spaces in the building, featuring a domed apse, slender pilasters and indirect lighting. It is serene even as it communicates a sense of soaring.
Image Courtesy of: Ines Leong
COOKFOX worked closely with Terrain NYC, the landscape architects, to integrate five gardens into the building, bringing ecology and natural systems to the classroom and outdoor labs for botany, a meditative courtyard with a water feature, a student farm, a dining terrace garden, a prayer garden and the rooftop. An emphasis on natural materials and a variety of micro-habitats encourage exploration and expose the students to native grasses, plants, and flora. There are approximately 100 types of trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses, sedums and vines.
An almost-professional level, 300-seat theater adds yet another layer to the students’ experience as they discover and explore their own talents and skills. It becomes a multi-purpose space as the school incorporates other activities there.
Three below-ground floors accommodate a full-size gym, as athletics are also important to the curriculum, students’ health and for the social connections of competing with other schools.
Feature Image courtesy of: Ines Leong
