In October, Gensler unveiled the second and final phase of NYSID’s first satellite location – a 3,716-square-metre space in a pre-war office building in lower Manhattan to accommodate the school’s growing graduate program. Local firm M. Castedo Architects were called in to revamp the lobby.

In the long and narrow entrance at 28th Street, a solid concrete reception desk greets students and visitors under a ceiling dressed with faceted wood and equipped with adjustable lighting. Slate-coloured porcelain floor tiles offer a stark contrast to the white walls to create an aesthetic worthy of a gallery; in fact, the space doubles as a display area for large-scale art from the landlord’s personal collection as well as exhibits by students. A glass-panelled, three-step stairway leads to two elevators that connect to the rest of the building.

In addition to accommodating students in the Professional Level MFA in Interior Design, MPS in Sustainable Interior Environments and MPS in Interior Lighting Design, the school will house the first crop of students accepted into the master’s Healthcare Interior Design program in fall 2012.