600 W. 125th Street

The façade is composed of blue-grey pigmented GFRC panels polished to a reflective finish, creating a luminous, sky-reflecting skin. Fragmented volumes are divided into smaller bays with operable windows, relating to human scale. Curved corners, soffits, and parapets soften the geometry, and vertical and horizontal ribs cast subtle shadows across the elevations. The polishing process reveals the concrete’s granular texture, adding tactile interest up close.

At street level, the transparent base incorporates the former McDonald’s at the corner of Broadway and 125th Street. The residential entrance to the west is highlighted by vibrant orange accents that guide residents through the building. This orange continues through lobbies, amenity spaces, and stairwells, creating visual continuity and a warm glow at night. Amenities on Levels 2 and 6 include lounges, a fitness center, a game room, a children’s playroom, laundry, and outdoor terraces with greenery and daylight. At the top, the 33rd-floor library provides a double-height common space with panoramic views, the tallest in Columbia’s residential buildings.

The project continues the campus’s sustainability goals, targeting LEED v4.0 Gold and Fitwel 2-star certification. Strategies include a high-performance façade, efficient building systems, limited gas usage, vegetated roofs, stormwater management, and enhanced Clean Construction practices.

With 600 West 125th Street, Manhattanville Campus principles of lightness, transparency, contextual sensitivity, and sustainability are combined with a new vitality of residential life. The building not only marks the campus skyline but also creates a place where faculty and graduate students are connected to their academic purpose and the surrounding urban environment.