41 COOPER SQUARE | Morphosis
New York City, NY - United States
ADDRESS:
41 Cooper Square, New York 10008
ACCESS:
Restricted: Active academic building
DISCRIPTION:
41 Cooper Square, designed by Morphosis Architects (Thom Mayne), is a bold, contemporary academic building for The Cooper Union in New York City. The structure features a perforated stainless steel façade that wraps around a glass curtain wall, optimizing daylight and energy performance. A central atrium, carved through the building’s nine floors, encourages natural ventilation and fosters collaboration. The design emphasizes transparency and accessibility, aligning with the institution's progressive ideals. Sculptural, dynamic forms and sustainable systems—including radiant heating, green roofs, and sun shading—position the building as a model of innovative, environmentally responsive architecture within the dense urban context of Manhattan. The building was completed in 2009.
NOTES:
While this is the most notable work by the firm in New York City, there is also the Computing and Information Science Building, a recent addition to Cornell’s satellite campus on Governor’s Island.
