Located on a highly visible block on the south side of Washington Square Park and framed by the view through the Washington Memorial Arch, The Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life at New York University brings together students and scholars from a wide variety of religious backgrounds into a single multi-faith and multi-function building on the NYU campus. A home for the dozens of underserved religious organizations on the NYU campus, the building embodies the spiritual mission of the center without relying on a singular religious iconography. 

The Tree of Life, an image shared by all major faiths, served as the inspiration for the façade. The multipronged symbolism of the tree, the architectural tradition of using natural forms as ornamental motifs, and the hyper-urban context of Manhattan all proved compelling. The facade is composed of water jet–cut, laminated quartzite panels that shift vertically from more solid at the building entrance to lighter and more filigreed near the top. 

Behind the facade, the building houses classrooms, meeting rooms, offices and music practice facilities, as well as the Global Conference Center, designed to bring together students and faculty from NYU’s campuses around the world