Saint Ann’s School to convert former bank into arts hub, kindergarten

January 24, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Renderings courtesy of ARO

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BROOKLYN HEIGHTS – Saint Ann’s School and Architecture Research Office on Wednesday revealed designs for 142 Pierrepont, the newest addition to the school’s campus in the heart of Brooklyn Heights.

With an adaptive redesign by New York City-based ARO, the former Citibank building will serve as a new hub for Saint Ann’s arts programming as well as a gathering space for the larger school community.

Since its founding in 1965, Saint Ann’s School has been at the vanguard of progressive and arts-oriented education. Embracing a commitment to “learning for its own sake,” Saint Ann’s seeks to empower both students and teachers in their exchange of knowledge.

142 Pierrepont will be the first Saint Ann’s building meant for the entire school community. The project introduces critical convening spaces in support of Saint Ann’s arts programming and allows for a larger and more centrally located kindergarten. It also shifts the campus’ center of gravity along Pierrepont Street, bringing the lower, middle and high school programs into closer physical proximity and fostering greater cohesion among students, faculty and staff.

ARO’s design amplifies and celebrates the distinct architectural character of 142 Pierrepont. The original 1930s limestone façade, with its art deco motifs, conveys openness and transparency while evoking the school’s institutional presence along Pierrepont Street.

Taking advantage of the original double-height banking hall’s impressive scale, a new central lobby will greet students as they enter. Beyond the lobby, a new arts and community space, equipped with telescoping seating, can host Saint Ann’s many creative and communal events, from playwriting festivals and music ensemble performances to individual grade meetings and large gatherings.

142 Pierrepont also features new classrooms, lower school STEAM labs, a recreational space and multi-use movement space. With the support of accessibility consultant KMA, the design ensures ease of physical access throughout.

“Having been connected to Saint Ann’s for most of my life, as both a student and as a parent, it is especially meaningful to now work with the school on a design that will support the joy of learning and community that is at the heart of this institution,” says Stephen Cassell, partner at ARO.

The kindergarten will primarily occupy the top floors of the structure, which include a new roofscape designed in collaboration with toy designer Cas Holman. Lively and welcoming spaces throughout blur the traditional boundaries of a classroom environment, inspiring creativity, curiosity and play.

While the building’s existing dark, enclosed interiors were appropriate for a bank, ARO’s design permeates the dense structure with natural light. Daylight from the roofscape will illuminate a new central stair, slated to be the primary path for students from the entrance to the upper floor. The design focuses on the vertical connectivity of the space.

“142 Pierrepont will be incredible for Saint Ann’s,” says Kenyatte Reid, head of school. “It will bring our community closer together and is a great investment into the future of our school.”

With an expanded kindergarten and arts-oriented programming all under one roof, ARO’s design seeks to cultivate curiosity, celebrate individuality and ensure that every member of the Saint Ann’s community, from kindergartners to adults, has the opportunity to explore their own interests. 142 Pierrepont will open to the Saint Ann’s community for the fall 2026 semester.