Building Fund

Contributions to the Building Fund go toward creating the academic facilities that will keep The Cooper Union a top-tier institution long into the future.

Our building at 41 Cooper Square is the home of the Albert Nerken School of Engineering, with exceptional facilities for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and significant shared space for the School of Art and the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture. This nine-story, state-of-the-art academic building, designed by Pritzker prize-winning architect Thom Mayne, features "green design," flexible space that can be reconfigured, technologically sophisticated classrooms, laboratories, art studios and student home spaces. It also contains retail space on the ground floor to meet the needs of students and the community, enliven the streetscape and provide revenue for the institution.

The landmark Foundation Building, completed in 1858, was Peter Cooper's monumental gift to the City of New York. The meticulously restored exterior, rededicated in 2002, has been enhanced by a $5 million modernization, with upgraded systems and modifications to keep it the core of The Cooper Union.

Building Fund donors whose contributions rise above certain levels can select faculty offices, classrooms, research laboratories, art studios, study areas or unique spaces to support and their names are permanently inscribed on the doors or walls of those spaces. Click on Donor Recognition for more information.