Jerome Greene Hall
Jerome Greene Hall is the primary
home of Columbia Law School and is
one of a number of buildings
put up in succession by Columbia
in the 1960s. It is named after
wealthy alumnus Jerome L. Greene.
Sometimes referred to simply as
Greene, it is frequently criticized
as being unsightly by outsiders.
The building was designed by alumnus
Max Abramovitz, better recognized
for their work on Lincoln Center.
The window boxes found on the two
narrow sides of the building are
often described as being fit for a
Mussolini-esque ruler. Others fondly
refer to it as “the toaster." The
building opened in the fall of 1961,
and a mural recognizing the numerous
donors for the building is displayed
on the western wall of the main
lobby. The building's western wall
is framed by Jacques Lipschitz's
sculpture Bellerophon Taming
Pegasus, donated in 1977.
The sculpture is said to
represent the experience Columbia
Law Schools’ endurance through time.
In the end of the 1990s the Jerome
Greene underwent a key renovation.
The construction of a new entrance,
more lounges, and a cafeteria came
underway. This was followed by
interior renovations of
the building's rooms and offices,
and the setting up of the infamous
"Skadden Stairs”. |
