FIT Honors Dr. Joyce F. Brown With Its First New Academic Building in Nearly 50 Years

On Thursday, the Fashion Institute of Technology marked a defining moment with the opening of the Joyce F. Brown Academic Building, its first new academic facility in nearly 50 years. Named after FIT’s departing president and trailblazer, Dr. Joyce F. Brown, the structure stands as a testament to her influence on creative education.

FIT Names Academic Building for Joyce F. Brown

Pointing out how SHoP Architects is known for being current and innovative, Brown said: “We’ve all aged a little together over the years. But they certainly came to us with new ideas and were very committed to having a consistency in the architecture. They did an incredible job.”

Governor Hochul Celebrates Historic Opening at FIT

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the historic opening of the State University of New York (SUNY) Fashion Institute of Technology’s (FIT) new $188.5 million Joyce F. Brown Academic Building. FIT is part of SUNY and a global leader in creative education. The new building is located on West 28th Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues, and will be a destination to advance creativity, innovation, and opportunity while also providing students with the resources to excel in art and design, fashion, business, and technology.

“FIT’s new Joyce F. Brown Academic Building cements its place at the crossroads of creativity, innovation, and opportunity,” Governor Hochul said. “There’s no more fitting place for this milestone than the fashion capital of the world — New York City — where top-tier talent and the global fashion industry merge to set trends, spark ideas, and build the future. This space will inspire the next generation of designers, artists, and entrepreneurs shaping what’s next in fashion and design.”

Designers Share Updated Visuals for Met Park

Renderings show verdant green areas and pedestrian corridors paved with permeable precast concrete, lined with park furniture. In the heart of the campus will be Shea Lawn, a shared space that pays homage to Shea Stadium, where the Mets previously played ball. A main promenade will unite the mixed-use campus into a unified whole.

SHoP Architects Reintroduces Density, Commerce and Public Life

The building’s facade combines glass and terra-cotta, echoing the craftsmanship of early 20th-century department stores while asserting a distinctly contemporary presence on Woodward Avenue. Inside, SHoP carved out a 7-story atrium topped by a skylight inspired by the headlight cover of a 1954 Corvette, a nod to the city’s automotive heritage.

Detroit is Booming–Again

Downtown, Detroit’s evolution is obvious. General Motors’ new Downtown HQ is a clear indication of this evolution. Designed by SHoP Architects, the sleek tower, on the site of the former JL Hudson’s department store, rises high over the skyline, and at night, lights up like a beacon visible from all corners of the city.

SHoP Completes First Stage of Hudson’s Detroit Mixed-Use Development

At its heart, a seven-story atrium filled with natural light connects the building’s levels, capped by a skylight inspired by the headlight cover of a 1954 Corvette, evoking Detroit’s architectural and automotive legacies. The completed 12-story building at 1240 Woodward Avenue provides over 400,000 square feet of office space, retail, and event venues.

From Rubble to Revival, Detroiters Hope for New Hudson’s Development

Standing on the Woodward Avenue site are a gleaming 45-story tower and a 12-story office building. The new 1.5 million-square-foot Hudson’s Detroit development also contains retail space and will feature high-end condos. General Motors Corp. is relocating its headquarters there and a five-star hotel is slated to open in 2027.

SHoP Architects Draws on “DNA of the City” for Hudson’s Detroit

SHoP Architect’s intervention on the site includes the block-spanning 12-storey office building with a sculptural skylight in its core, flanked by the stepped skyscraper. The studio looked to the classic architecture in the area for the formal language of the office building, such as the nearby Guardian building, while letting the program dictate its shape.

Detroit’s New Skyscraper Signals the City’s Back, Baby

The project’s 49-story hotel and condo tower, now the second tallest building in the city, features a stepped form and bright lighting along its five glassy rectangular sections. At its base is a pedestrianized mid-block alley that Bedrock is turning into a public civic space. And next door is a stout 12-story mixed use building with ground floor retail, an events and exhibitions center, a top floor restaurant, and seven floors of office space. As a sign of the project’s early success and impact downtown, local auto giant General Motors signed on to turn four of the office floors into its new global headquarters.