Building on the new mid-rise Manhattan tower on West 90th Street for the Stephen Gaynor School and Ballet Hispanico, also designed by Rogers Partners, the school purchased two adjacent properties - the landmark Claremont Stables building and a former carriage house to expand/be able to accommodate the school’s growth in students and in programs. The design team developed a long-term program to meet growth targets and mission-driven priorities, specifically the extension of the school’s pedagogical approach with a focus on early education and middle school-age students. The existing site conditions were evaluated; options for maximizing site development, in accordance with zoning regulations and Landmarks Preservation Commission parameters, were investigated.

The six-phase project consists of the full renovation of the existing 50,000 square foot Stables building and new construction on its roof and the carriage house site. Completed in 2012, the first phase included core, shell, and infrastructure for long-term site development, as well as a new Early Childhood Center with classrooms, lobbies, a learning kitchen, offices, and outdoor play and garden areas. This was followed by the interior fit-out of several floors.

Constructed over a summer, a new bridge over the rear yards connects the original building to the expansion to allow students and faculty to move safely and easily between buildings. A 5,000 square foot double-height, rooftop “field house” recreational space was completed in 2015. The Performing Arts Center completes the multi-phase renovation of the landmark Claremont Stables Building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, just in time for the 2019 school year.