Much as the worlds of print and television have spent the majority of the past decade coming to terms with the evolution of the Internet and modern means of communication (with many entities still struggling to adapt), so too have journalism and communication schools raced to keep pace with the ever-changing playing field. Accordingly, the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, a top-tier undergraduate and graduate program, has continually adjusted its curriculum to better address the digital evolution. Alongside this shift, its facilities also have had to adapt to new learning tools and technologies.

Previously, the school occupied two buildings on what was originally designed as a three-building complex on the Syracuse, N.Y., campus. Newhouse I, the first building, was designed by I.M. Pei and dedicated by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964. It was joined in 1974 by Newhouse II, designed by SOM and dedicated by William S. Paley, then-chairman of the board of CBS. Nearly 30 years later, however, the complex, although iconic in design, remained incomplete on the third edge, and inside, the facilities were dated and disconnected.

"The first two buildings had strong teaching spaces, but we had had to cannibalize a lot of the community spaces, study areas, and socializing spaces to adapt to the digital revolution," explains Newhouse school dean David Rubin. "The first two buildings no longer provided students and faculty with the informal places you need for learning outside of the classroom."

To address these concerns, Syracuse turned to New York-based Polshek Partnership Architects, and with the completion of Newhouse III, headlines are no longer limited to classroom curriculum. Indeed, it's the classrooms themselves that are in the spotlight.

Housing multimedia teaching spaces, dining facilities, student lounges, an auditorium, and a conference center-like executive education suite, as well as faculty and student organization offices, the $31.6-million, 74,000-sq.-ft. addition focuses on interdisciplinary collaboration. "One of the things we wanted to address was that while one of the best communications school in the country didn't have a problem attracting students, these students really didn't have a sense of community or a space that allowed the school to act as a big family and forge a singular culture," say Tomas J. Rossant, AIA, a partner at Polshek. Given the region's often-grey weather, opening up the facility to natural light was equally important. "In no small way we wanted to take a can opener to the original two buildings and really get light and air into there." Another major goal of the project was to complete the third edge of the Newhouse complex to provide not only a distinct identity for the school, but also to create a dramatic entryway to the campus on the opposite side.

The solution was two-sided. On the side facing the Pei building, the architects deferred to the iconic precedent. "It's a classical Greek temple that's interpreted in a Modern vocabulary. The fabric around it needed to be background and a quiet backdrop," explains Rossant. The prominence of the Pei building also was important to Donald and S.I. Newhouse, who were the major financial backers of Newhouse III and whose father financed the original 1964 building.

As a result, Polshek maintained the datums of the SOM building and mirrored its column rhythms, and floor heights are maintained across all three buildings, which turned out to be no small feat. "The Pei and SOM buildings' structural systems are reinforced concrete, but it was cost-prohibitive to use that system in Newhouse III. We were advised to use steel, which needs higher floors, and to line up the floors of Newhouse III with the Pei and SOM buildings was quite a challenge. Threading in the mechanicals and plumbing while still keeping the floors aligned was like a Swiss watch," says Rossant. Underneath the plaza, Newhouse III is bridged with its sister buildings through the new Food.com café, formerly the most trafficked area of Newhouse II and now expanded in scope.

On the opposite side of the plaza, Newhouse III stakes its claim as a campus landmark with a stunning glass façade featuring the First amendment etched in 6-ft.-high lettering. "The lettering disappears at certain times of the day like a Cheshire cat, which is a way to say we're in a time where our civil liberties are being challenged. Is it coming back? Should we challenge it or support it? This is exactly what a liberal arts institution should do. It should make students think about the importance of these things," says Rossant. Given this element, it seems fitting that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts inaugurated the facility in September 2007.

Inside, the sense of openness continues, with natural light spreading through a four-story atrium, and learning spaces emphasize collaboration. A Center for Digital Convergence Suite promotes experimentation with media convergence, while the Collaborative Media Room brings functions as a modern newsroom, incorporating an eight-person editing rim, an assignment desk and a meeting room, all of which are electronically linked to editing suites, studios, and broadcast journalism labs in Newhouse I and II. "The building responds to technological advancement within the media and communications. Even as short as five years ago, you went to school and were a radio journalist, a print journalist, or were in pubic relations," notes Rossant. "Now you're a content provider who may be writing a story for print, but it's also something that can be repurposed for the radio or television or internet. The building had to embrace and nurture that culture."

who
Project: Syracuse University, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Newhouse III. Architect: Polshek Partnership Architects. Structural engineer: Severud Associates. Civil/Mechanical engineer: Peterson Guadagnolo Engineers P.C. Landscape architect: Quennell Rothschild & Partners. Acoustic and A/V engineer: Cerami Associates. Lighting consultant: Brandston & Partners. Signage consultant: Two Twelve Associates. Curtain wall consultant: R.A. Heintges & Associates. Exterior enclosure: Thorton Tomasetti Group/LZA Technology. Specifications: Robert Schwartz & Associates. Security consultant: Syracuse University Office of Design and Construction. Food service consultant: Syracuse University, Food Services. Cost consultant: Wolf and Company. Owner: Syracuse University Office of Design and Construction. Construction manager: J. D. Taylor Construction Corporation. Photographer: Jeff Goldberg/Esto.

what
Wallcoverings: Rulon; Knoll; Eternit-SwissPearl. Paint: Sherwin-WIlliams Company. Laminate: Plastic Laminate: Wilsonart Laminate. Servery Countertops: Corian. Dry wall: USG. Flooring: General Polymers, Martino Tile. Tile: Daltile. Carpet/carpet tile: Bently Prince Street. Ceiling: Armstrong, Rulon. Lighting: Kurt Versen, Legion, Focal Point, LiteControl, Bartco Lighting, Lightolier, Lutron. Doors: Eliason, Steelcraft. Door hardware: Best, Trimco, Dorma, Zero, PBB, Von Duprin, Rockwood, LCN. Glass: Viracon. Window treatments: MechoShade. Glass and Metal Railings: Sun Architectural Systems. Retractable Seating: Irwin Telescopic Seating Company. Other tables: KI. Architectural woodworking: RB WoodCraft. Signage: ASI – Modulex. Elevators: Otis. HVAC: Woodcock, Armani. Fire safety: ABJ Fire Protection Company. Security: Syracuse University. Access flooring: Tate.

where
Location: Syracuse, NY. New building footprint: 22,000 sq. ft. New building area: 75,000 gross sq. ft. Total renovated area: 10,500 gross sq. ft. Number of floors: Four floors plus a mechanical penthouse. Cost/sq. ft.: $300.