Grimshaw Begins Rebuilding Former School Turned Community Center in Chinatown, New York City

Grimshaw has begun the reconstruction of 70 Mulberry Street, a historic community center in Manhattan's Chinatown, originally built as Public School 23 in the late nineteenth century. The building later became home to several of the neighborhood's cultural and nonprofit organizations before a fire in January 2020 destroyed its upper three floors and displaced five tenants. Led by the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC), the project will preserve portions of the historic building while providing a renewed home for the displaced organizations.

The 85,720-square-foot reconstruction will return approximately 51,000 square feet to the five former tenants: the Chinese-American Planning Council, Chen Dance Center, Museum of Chinese in America, United East Athletics Association, and Chinatown Manpower Project. Alongside these spaces, the design by Grimshaw introduces 16,500 square feet of additional community facilities. The historic street-facing facades will be retained, maintaining the building's presence along Mulberry Street, while a double-height multipurpose room will accommodate recreation and community events. Meeting rooms, offices, and flexible spaces available for reservation and shared use will further support the organizations and the wider neighborhood.

The expanded facilities will also incorporate accessibility and environmental improvements. Three new elevators will provide access throughout the building, while operable windows will allow for natural ventilation. Landscaped terraces and street trees are intended to help mitigate the urban heat island effect, complementing the project's broader improvements to environmental performance. The reconstruction follows a community engagement process involving former tenants and neighborhood representatives, whose feedback informed the design. A permanent public artwork by Jennifer Wen Ma, commissioned through the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs' Percent for Art program, will also be incorporated into the building. The project will restore the organizations' shared home while expanding the facilities available for cultural, recreational, and community activities in Chinatown.

In other project updates, the New Mexico Literacy Institute, designed by Multistudio with Design Plus Architects, is scheduled to open in December 2026, while KAI Water Culture House by Kengo Kuma & Associates, Cornelius Vöge Atelier for Architecture, and Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects is set to open in Copenhagen on December 5. Meanwhile, Mecanoo has released new images of its ongoing renovation of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, which includes the restoration and reorganization of the existing museum, a new building, and improvements to the surrounding Museum Garden.