It's been far too long since we heard word about architect Thomas Mayne's Psychedelic Pleasure Palace for Cooper Union, seen shimmering to the right in the above rendering. Construction on the project, which begins with the demolition of the existing Hewitt Building, was supposed to get underway in August, but delays have pushed that back a few months. (Once the demolition is complete, the Mayne building will take about two years to build.)
Good news for Cooper Union students, right? Um, not so much. Per The Villager:
But 120 art students who just set up their art studios in the Hewitt Building in September are now reportedly undergoing serious angst about what this $120 million project will mean for them. The art students were recently told they must clear out their studios by mid-November, and that new studios have been prepared for them in Long Island City. But the prospect of having studios in Queens and schlepping back and forth to the East Village has them up in arms. Being in Long Island City will mean having to take both the 7 and 6 trains to get to The Cooper Union — not to mention, a long 10-minute walk from the studios to the 7 stop in Long Island City... "One girl cried at the meeting," said one person who attended the meeting, requesting anonymity. "There were students saying, 'So you’re saying we’re not worth $8 million?'" Students demanded shuttle service and that the studios be open 24 hours. In short, the source said, "The students don’t want to go to Long Island City — not unless they get something really sweet out of the deal."
First Long Island City, then life inside a Thomas Mayne creation? We'd be screaming holy hell, too.
· Art Students Suffer Angst as Cooper Readies to Build [The Villager]
· Cooper Union's Psychedelic Pleasure Palace [Curbed]