The Lenfest Center for the Arts plays a central role in the Manhattanville campus and in the life of the University. This facility, designed by Renzo Piano, is more than a beautiful building containing an art gallery, a film screening room, a presentation space, and a performance space: it serves as a hub for the creation of new works and the refinement of works-in-progress across various media, featuring exhibitions, theatrical performances, symposia, and lectures that present new artistic voices and perspectives from around the globe. The resources made available by the center also strengthen Columbia’s longstanding ties to the vibrant local arts community based in Harlem, generating partnerships with talented artists in northern Manhattan and throughout New York City.

FDA has designed an up to 120-seat flexible studio theatre and a 150-seat film screening room for the School of the Arts.