Princeton University, Princeton, N.J., has completed the $35 million transformation of some of its historical buildings into a humanities center. The center has three buildings: the university's Victorian Gothic library, Chancellor Green; a wing known as East Pyne; and the Scheide Caldwell House, a new two-story wood building that, along with the adjacent Joseph Henry House, forms a humanities courtyard and a new entrance to the campus.
The task was to restore the original historical fabric, provide for easy navigation, and accommodate a modern program of almost 100,000 square feet.
East Pyne continues to house academic offices and classrooms in a restored architectural fabric. Circulation patterns have been rationalized, with a large, open stair connecting the primary levels. Windowed lounges on the upper floors connect to the efficient ring-shaped circulation, providing orientation and resting spaces. Chancellor Green contains a new multipurpose space and seminar rooms within the restored library, and a new student lounge and cafe.
The architect for this project is Schwartz/Silver Architects (Boston).
