Pratt Institute
Student Union
Brooklyn, NY
Completed 2018
11,000 sf Historical Building Adaptive Reuse
Design Architect: Matiz Architecture & Design
Photo: Hide Abe
Sited at the heart of Pratt’s historical Brooklyn campus, this 1887 masonry structure was renovated to become the student center providing meeting rooms, lounges, movie viewing and art exhibition spaces. Three interconnected levels of open spaces offer students unexpected interactions and informal meeting opportunities enhancing the academic experience.
The building’s new entrance is enhanced with a custom canopy and vestibule. The entrance signage, fabricated of heavy gauge metal with the letters “Student Union” cutaway, gives the appearance as a shadow during the daylight hours and glows internally at night.
Interior indirect uplights at the base of the exposed roof structure makes the sloped ceiling a point of focal interest while providing ambient light to the main space. Under the wood beam, small aperture low glare downlights illuminate both the open area and the large stepped platform for various activities. A small semi-spherical grazer articulates the underside of wood trusses, further accentuates the architecture without distracting the users from their activities.