Transforming AAP with Paul Milstein Hall

Supporting Our Students
Paul Milstein Hall will be a breakthrough facility for Cornell University as it physically unites the Departments of City and Regional Planning, Art, and Architecture for the first time, while providing a contemporary platform for the top-ranked undergraduate program for architecture in the U.S. The first new building for the college in more than 90 years — and the surrounding outer spaces created by its construction — will transform the education and training of future generations by providing facilities and resources that stimulate inventiveness and interaction.

In the words of Dean Kent Kleinman, “Paul Milstein Hall will be an extraordinary new addition to AAP’s suite of buildings, providing the academic and physical ‘center of gravity’ for the design arts at Cornell. With 22,000 square feet of open studio space, a lecture hall for 275 people, and 6,900 square feet of critique space, Milstein Hall will make it possible for AAP to radically reconfigure the way design is taught. From a pedagogical point of view, the building will be transformative.”

"Milstein Hall represents a critical leap forward for the college and the Department of Architecture by adding long-awaited and much-needed studio and exhibition spaces, as well as a major lecture hall where we can assemble together as one community." Prof. Mark Cruvellier, architecture

Collaborative environment

An adaptable and open floor plan on the top level will provide opportunities to respond to the changing needs of design curriculum. Additionally, this flexible space will allow direct access to the Fine Arts Library in Sibley Hall and Rand Hall studios. The ground level provides immediate entry to the college’s first auditorium, which will accommodate classes, presentations, and a variety of other meetings. A lower level will combine large and small exhibition venues, access to the central auditorium, and a connection with the Green Dragon Café. Covered outdoor areas will give architects, artists, and fabricators virtually boundless studio space, where they can construct large-scale prototypes, models, and sculptures.

What we have, what we will have
AAP has many facilities that have held the college in good stead for decades. Sibley Hall remains the focal point; Rand Hall continues to provide precious workspace for students in architecture; and Olive Tjaden Hall serves as the central space for our fine arts students.

Providing leading faculty and students with facilities to enable outstanding scholarship and the best learning environment is of paramount importance and will allow us to remain competitive with peer schools throughout the U.S. and abroad. The addition of Paul Milstein Hall not only will enhance our programmatic needs, but also will be a necessary component of ongoing accreditation procedures with the National Architectural Accrediting Board.

Encouraging creativity
We endeavor to provide our students and faculty with a space that will support their creativity — Milstein Hall is designed specifically for the disciplines of architecture, art, and planning. Our students will have ample room to learn, create, exhibit, and defend their projects and work. The completion of Milstein Hall will create a space where the very best teaching and scholarship will occur.