Abraham Heschel School

New York, NY
Abraham Heschel High School

Once an industrial building near Lincoln Center, the new Heschel High School building completes the nursery school-12th grade mission of this progressive Jewish day school. After programming all of Heschel’s facilities, Helpern Architects gutted the 4½-story building and added two stories, which increased square footage by a third, up to 60,000 square feet.

The design transformed the structure, especially the façade. The conversion allowed Heschel to nearly double its total enrollment to 800 students. The building was included in the 2005 New York Now exhibit at the Center for Architecture.

Heschel’s new technology infrastructure will accommodate such future requirements as wireless connectivity and distance learning. The project also equipped the high school with state-of the art science laboratories, including wet labs, smart boards in classrooms, and a major digital display potential in the lobby.

The high school involved extensive community planning board review and zoning approval by the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals.