Ten Things You Might Not Know About The New School

We've got history.

10. The New School was one of the first universities to ban the sale of bottled water in campus eateries.

Via giphy.com

Screw plastic bottles...and their tight caps! (Pun intended.)

9. Our University Center is one of the greenest academic buildings in the country.

The New School

The University Center is one of the greenest academic buildings ever designed, with a LEED Gold rating and industry-leading solutions to curbing energy use.

8. The architecture firm commissioned to design our University Center also designed two of the world’s most famous (and tallest) skyscrapers: the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and One World Trade Center here in NYC.

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Shown here is the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill.

7. Miracle on 34th Street? Not until 1902!

Via The New School

One of the original Macy’s department stores was built in the 1890’s and located at 55 West 13th Street, which is now The New School’s very own Arnhold Hall.

6. Renowned fashion designer Tom Ford graduated from Parsons The New School for Design with a degree in architecture—not fashion design.

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What's that, Hov? You rock Tom Ford, too?

5. The monumental reopening of Parsons Paris was a big deal in 2013, but it wasn't the first that Paris has seen of The New School.

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Parsons Paris first opened in 1921 as Paris Ateliers.

4. From 1994-2005 the television show “Inside the Actors Studio” was filmed at The New School.

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It featured interviews with numerous stars including Robin Williams (shown above), Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Whoopi Goldberg, Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Drew Barrymore, Tom Cruise, Kate Winslet, Morgan Freeman, and many more, all taking place in the Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street.

3. In 1951, Christian Dior served as a mentor to the senior fashion design students at Parsons while critiquing their work and preparing them for careers in the industry.

The New School Archives and Special Collections

While at Parsons, fashion designer Christian Dior praised a gown inspired by his 1951 collection which was designed by 3rd year student George Yazbek.

2. The “egg shaped” Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street, which was designed by Joseph Urban, is said to be the inspiration for Radio City Music Hall.

Via wordpress.com

Above: The New School Auditorium

Below: Radio City Music Hall

1. In 1881, the site which is now home to our University Center at 65 5th Avenue was the headquarters of Thomas Edison’s electrical company—the first building to be lit exclusively by electricity.

Museum of the City of New York

"Not only would Edison be living in the city, but his headquarters would be on elegant Fifth Avenue. 'We're up in the world now!' Edison exclaimed at that time."

— Thomas Edison: The Great American Inventor by Louise Egan and Louise Betts.