Morningside Park lies on a steep slope.  It is the buffer zone between low-income Harlem and prestigious Columbia University.

The program for this project requires a large campus building in the park that will serve both communities; a campus to Columbia, and a community center to Harlem. 

In sight of Manhattan's lack of public spaces, my proposal intends to remain inconspicuous by embedding within the steep slope of the park. It will extend the sidewalk into a public plaza increasing the visible, functional area of the park.  The entries, form, and location of the building respond to local transit commuter traffic, hours of operation of surrounding buildings, and areas of frequent crime in the park.

The largest part of the plaza corresponds with the location of Columbia’s highest dormitory building. The plaza thus acts as a horizontal facade where the main entrance is accessed by descending from the sidewalk into the center of the building.