The Forum Wins German Design Award for Excellent Architecture

May 20, 2019

The Forum, the third new building completed at Columbia University’s Manhattanville campus, has earned a German Design Award in the Excellent Architecture category from the German Design Council. 

Designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, with Dattner Architects as executive architect and Caples Jefferson as associate architect, The Forum was recognized for its modern, inviting design, comprised of distinctive recesses and cut-aways.  Located on the corner of Broadway and 125th Street, The Forum serves as a gateway to the new Manhattanville campus, and the German Design Council remarked its entrance resembled the bow of a ship.

The Forum features a state-of-the-art 437 seat auditorium. (Photo: ©Nic Lehoux)

The three-story, 56,000-square-foot Forum, which opened in September 2018, features a 437-seat auditorium, a variety of meeting rooms and offices, and community programming at street level.  Offices on the upper floors of The Forum are initially being used by two University-wide Columbia programs: Columbia World Projects, an initiative that aims to bring university research systematically out into the world in the form of projects that will help guide the way to solutions to intractable problems; and the Obama Foundation Scholars, a year-long academic and civic leadership program part of Columbia World Projects designed to strengthen the expertise and knowledge of individuals with a demonstrated ability to be transformative leaders in their communities, nations and the world.

Like all new buildings on the Manhattanville campus, the transparent ground floor is designed to invite the community into the building.  The Forum’s street-level space intended for public use includes a café, ample public seating with free Wi-Fi, an information center, and an open area where Columbia’s schools and divisions will offer programming. 

The exterior of The Forum was designed to accommodate the functions of the building  — a prefabricated concrete skin provides opacity for its auditorium, and a glazed façade allows daylight to illuminate the office spaces.  (Photo: ©Nic Lehoux)

The German Design Awards is one of the world’s most renowned design competitions, honoring groundbreaking projects in the German and international design landscape, recognizing the best projects around the globe. Projects are judged by an international jury from the German Design Council, comprised of leading figures from the fields of industry, science and design.  The ceremony granted awards in three main categories: "Excellent Product Design," "Excellent Communications Design," and "Excellent Architecture."

In addition to the German Design Award, The Forum has also received a 2019 Merit Award in the Architecture category from AIA New York and a 2019 MASterworks Award for “Best New Building” from the Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS).