The Borough of Manhattan Community College commissioned WDLA to correct infrastructure deficiencies and to create a gathering space for their students at a new entrance for the college's performance venue – the TriBeCa Performing Arts Center.
A random checkerboard pavement pattern, with shades of dark and light gray pavers, moves students and visitors through the reconfigured, barrier-free plaza. A series of polished terrazzo seating elements with their curved forms are a welcome contrast to the angles of the buildings and plaza. New signage announces the entrance to the plaza and school from the street and a tall light pylon provides a sculptural focal point to draw people into the plaza.
The combination of all these site elements form a unique and valuable student gathering space that immediately calls attention to the campus entrance and places the College squarely in the emerging Lower Manhattan streetscape.