Pace’s newest building, 15 Beekman, is scheduled to open in the fall of 2023. The building will include several facilities, including two dining areas, a library, classroom spaces, and multipurpose learning spaces on its first 11 floors and suite-style dorms on the upper 14 floors for a total of 25 floors.
According to Pace’s New York Campus Master Plan, “15 Beekman is being built to the highest environmental and efficiency standards and in compliance with all codes including forthcoming obligations under the revised New York City Energy Conservation Code.” (https://www.pace.edu/new-york-city-master-plan/15-beekman)
Jennifer Rosenstein, Pace University NYC Library Director, has stated that the east wing of 1 Pace Plaza will close for renovations in the fall of 2023 in conjunction with the opening of 15 Beekman. She says that more information about this process will be shared at President Marvin Krislov’s State of the University Address next week. (https://www.pace.edu/sotu)
Both Pace University and the Architecture Research Office, the designer of the first 11 floors of the building, have architectural renders and further information on 15 Beekman on their websites. The provided renders offer some idea of what the building will look like, but it’s important to note that these are purely conceptual and the final building may differ from the images we have been provided thus far. The Architecture Research Office’s diagram of the building indicates which of the first 11 floors will be dedicated to which type of facilities.
15 Beekman lobby entrance 15 Beekman lobby seating
The lobby will include dining and lounge areas for student use, similar to the lounge available in the already existing 41 Park Row. The renders of the lobby show floor-to-ceiling windows that let in light from the street outside.
2nd floor dining
The second floor provides further dining space to students, with little division between the seating areas and the food counters. Depending on how the checkout process in this dining area is arranged, this could prevent some of the crowding issues that we see in Cafe 101 at 1 Pace Plaza.
Bianco Room
The third floor will include a multipurpose room and a staff area for library personnel. Based on the name and the render, it’s possible that this space will resemble 1 Pace Plaza’s Bianco Room or Student Center.
4th floor library 5th floor library
As seen in the diagram provided, the fourth and fifth floors will be dedicated entirely to a new library with large windows that provide plenty of natural light. According to Jennifer Rosenstein, Pace University NYC Library Director, the new library will be fully ADA compliant with seamless elevator access on each floor. Rosenstein states that the 4th floor will include a service desk and lounge area, and the 5th floor will be composed entirely of quiet study spaces with 5 rooms available for student reservation.
Rosenstein has shared that the Birnbaum Library at 1 Pace Plaza will close when the library at 15 Beekman opens in the fall. Because the 15 Beekman library will be smaller, less-frequently used books in Birnbaum Library’s current collection will be transferred to the libraries at Pace’s Pleasantville and White Plains campuses to accommodate this change.
6th floor terrace dining
The sixth floor will include a dining space, social & study spaces, and an outdoor terrace. Based on the render, it’s possible that the outdoor terrace will have seating. It’s not clear if this seating would close in the winter as with 1 Pace Plaza’s courtyard, or if it would remain open year-round.
Classroom 8th floor student seating
Learning commons
Floors seven and eight will include classrooms and multipurpose student seating. The render of the classroom provided shows a classroom design similar to spaces seen on the fifth floor of 1 Pace Plaza. The student seating space pictured is comparable to Park Row’s eighth floor Student Engagement Lounge, but with much more seating available and no individual work rooms. Based on the render available, 15 Beekman’s learning commons could provide a unique multi-use space unlike any other on campus.
Seidenberg
Floors 9 through 11 will be dedicated to a new hub for the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Science. The render suggests that student seating will be available, similar to the current Seidenberg lounge, but not much information is available regarding other plans for the space.
Dormitory Dormitory amenities
The dormitories in 15 Beekman will be suite-style, with 5 to 11 students per suite. According to Pace’s housing listing for 15 Beekman (https://www.pace.edu/housing/residence-halls/15-beekman), “suites will include various combinations of single, double, triple and quad occupancy rooms, but most students (about 2/3) will be assigned to double rooms.” Each suite will include a shared living room space and one to two private bathrooms. Additionally, a microwave and refrigerator will be included in each suite. Pace’s website does not specify whether the refrigerators will be mini-fridges or full-sized.
Pace’s plans for 15 Beekman show that the university is dedicated to creating a space that will meet the needs of many students on campus. Their plans for new library and dining spaces could provide improvements on the facilities currently available in the east wing of 1 Pace Plaza, and the inclusion of both classrooms and dormitories in the building suggest that it could be an inviting space for both learning and recreation. I look forward to the information that will be shared in the university president’s State of the University address next week, and I’m excited for 15 Beekman’s opening in the fall.
All photos from (https://www.aro.net/pace-university-15-beekman-street/)