Known legally as the Columbia University in New York the university is the oldest higher education institute in the state of New York and the fifth oldest in the United States. It was founded as an Anglican institution in 1754 by a charter issued by King George the First, the university was first known as King’s College and after the American Revolution that took place thirty years later changed its name to the Columbia University.
Columbia University has occupied it s current location in Manhattan’s Central Quadrangle, since 1897. The president at that time, Seth Low, hoped that the move uptown would give the university more room to expand. Famous architectural firms, Mead, and White were chosen to design the new campus. Charles McKim modeled it after the Athenian agora and Columbia remains the largest collection of McKim, Mead, and White buildings in the world.
The chief attraction of the university for travelers lies in its history and architecture. A notable architectural masterpiece is the Low Memorial Library which is considered to be the centerpiece of the university. The Low Library was built in the Roman Classical style and is a popular gathering space for students and some have described it as an “urban beach”, where students enjoy socializing and sunbathing on warm days. The Low memorial library has been declared a National Historic Landmark as has nearby Pupin Hall where ground breaking atomic research is conducted.
An exciting exposition of Italian renaissance revival architecture is the St. Paul’s Cathedral that was built in 1904 and has been designated as a New York City landmark. The building is faced with burned brick, limestone, and marble trim, while the tiled roof is crowned with a self-supporting dome. A sight not to be missed by visitors is the Peace Alter that was designed by George Nakashima inside the chapel.
Several other buildings inside the university are also intriguing such as the Sherman Fairchild Center for the Life Sciences and the Morris A. Schapiro Center for Engineering and Physical Science Research. Much more contemporary styles of architecture can also be found inside Columbia University that are built using steel and glass. New York hotels that offer comfortable accommodation can be found easily in this area, hotels in New York range from budget to luxury and they can be easily located in this area.
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