The sun's rays pass through the windowsprismatic film, and a cheerful rainbow fills the white stairwell designed by Steven Holl. The perforated steel staircase and skylight are part of a completed renovation project to relocate the New York University Philosophy Department to an existing building. The idea for the project arose from the department’s concerns about the loss of communication between staff and students after moving from a small old building to a new six-story building. Holl’s solution was to make the stairwell a “Tower of Light,” so that its sunlight would stimulate movement between floors. The perforated motifs of the staircase are continued in the rest of the interior — the department, classrooms, library, and other spaces. Read more:
