Cooper Union Foundation Building
Cooper Union Foundation Building
Cooper Union Foundation Building
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Neighbourhood: Downtown Manhattan (Downtown)
How to get there
- Astor Place • 5 min walk
- 8th St – NYU • 6 min walk
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4.0
25 reviews
Excellent
8
Very good
12
Average
4
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Rajnish P
Jaipur, India2,500 contributions
Aug 2012 • Couples
Cooper union consists of main foundation building, Cooper Union Library building, and other building complexes situated at 41 Cooper Square and at 7E-7th St, Manhattan, New York. Architect of these buildings is very good.
The Foundation Building was used as a common meeting place of intellectuals, inventors and thinkers. At one time The Foundation Building was one of the tallest in lower Manhattan. Its greatest feature is the Great Hall. Before they were elected, Presidents Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Barack Obama and Clinton delivered their address in this hall.
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering. Short duration travelers can give this a skip....
The Foundation Building was used as a common meeting place of intellectuals, inventors and thinkers. At one time The Foundation Building was one of the tallest in lower Manhattan. Its greatest feature is the Great Hall. Before they were elected, Presidents Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Barack Obama and Clinton delivered their address in this hall.
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering. Short duration travelers can give this a skip....
Written 31 August 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
astrowstorer
5 contributions
I see there is no page specifically for the Lubalin Archives at Cooper, so I figured this was the best place to post.
Cooper Union is home to the Lubalin Centre/Archives, which are free to access (by appointment). If you have an interest in Graphic Design it is certainly worth your time.
Go and see some of the visual and design history of the city, including stuff like the Graphic Standards Manual for the NYCTA and plenty of other iconic pieces of NYC's history.
Cooper Union is home to the Lubalin Centre/Archives, which are free to access (by appointment). If you have an interest in Graphic Design it is certainly worth your time.
Go and see some of the visual and design history of the city, including stuff like the Graphic Standards Manual for the NYCTA and plenty of other iconic pieces of NYC's history.
Written 4 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sjp38501
Cookeville, TN130 contributions
Jul 2016 • Family
Cooper Union is a school reaching back before the Civil War, and a history and memory of Peter Cooper, a great American. Some of the brightest young men and women in America are in college here. The historical marker in the first floor of the CU Foundation building, honoring Peter Cooper on his 80th birthday, is a wonderful commemoration of this gentlemen's contributions to New York. The Great Hall is where Lincoln spoke. Oh for the days when the really wealthy paid America back for its blessings by lifting us all up!
Written 19 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
seanworc
New York City, NY714 contributions
Apr 2016 • Friends
Cooper Union is an arts, engineering, and architecture college founded by Peter Cooper, a man who deserves much more recognition than he gets. He founded the school based on the idea of equality in his era when only certain groups were allowed to enroll in college. A pioneer. The Great Hall in the Foundation Building is a true iconic place of US history, but sadly is not well known. Lincoln gave a critical speech here that he felt propel him to his Presidency; Clinton spoke here: President Obama criticized the financial industry to the Wall Street leaders here; the Irish freedom fighter, James Connelly, spoke here; I saw Gerry Adams, the leader of Sinn Fein tonight. Great artists and social leaders have stood on this stage: too many to mention.( Believe it or not, the current podium is the one Lincoln used.)
Really worth seeing.
Really worth seeing.
Written 28 April 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
robcurtross
New York City, NY13,542 contributions
Oct 2016 • Solo
If you look up from Cooper Square to the roof of the Cooper Union Foundation Building, you can see a round, funnel-like structure that is, in fact, the top of the world's first elevator shaft.
It was put there during the construction of the building in the 1850s on the orders of Peter Cooper, who decided that his new building-- at that time one of the tallest buildings in New York-- should have an elevator, even though the elevator had yet to be invented.
Cooper was confident that a practical elevator would soon be perfected and in the meantime used the shaft to move goods between floors using a pulley system. Not long afterwards Elisha Otis did indeed unveil the first elevator ... but to Cooper's consternation it was square, not round!
It was put there during the construction of the building in the 1850s on the orders of Peter Cooper, who decided that his new building-- at that time one of the tallest buildings in New York-- should have an elevator, even though the elevator had yet to be invented.
Cooper was confident that a practical elevator would soon be perfected and in the meantime used the shaft to move goods between floors using a pulley system. Not long afterwards Elisha Otis did indeed unveil the first elevator ... but to Cooper's consternation it was square, not round!
Written 3 October 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mark r
New York City, NY9 contributions
Aug 2015 • Solo
really neat old building. now looks out of place surrounded by the glass buildings around it. worth spending some time reading the plaques and walking around it. i'd seen it in skate videos but didn't know about the elevators history or other architectural details.
Written 6 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bbbob84
Staten Island, NY1,616 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
This Italianate Brownstone Building was erected by a self made man, Peter Cooper. It was the first building in NYC to be erected using Rolled Iron I Beams which were invented by Peter Cooper. Iron Beam buildings allowed the structures to be built taller. The predecessor to the Steel I Beams to be later used in erecting skyscrapers. Cooper was convinced that the invention of the elevator was close so he had an elevator shaft installed at the time of construction. His elevator shaft was round and was quite surprised when the invention of the elevator was a square. A statue of Peter Cooper in in the adjoining park. Peter Cooper founded the school which bears his name, The Cooper Union, to give back and help others learn trades at no cost to them. A true philanthropist, inventor and part of NYC history.
Written 27 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dajoma
Cape Town Central, South Africa690 contributions
Mar 2018 • Friends
The Cooper Union Foundation Building is a gem and well worth the visit. The building and university was founded in 1859 before the Civil War. The Cooper Union is mainly an arts, engineering and architecture school founded by Peter Cooper. Apart from the interesting buildings, they have over the years had many previous presidents as speakers in their great hall. Well worth the visit.
Written 7 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TRAVELdglobenow
Tampa, FL4,994 contributions
Apr 2015 • Friends
This was one of the places my husband wanted to see while we were in New York City. One of his friends in Florida graduated from Engineering School here. We were lost a few times but we finally found it. As we looked around, one staff told us that there was a Photography Exhibit on the second floor and it was free. We went and saw the exhibit of black and while photographs mostly taken in the 1970's. This university offers degrees in the Arts and Engineering. The staff at the main lobby was very friendly.
Written 23 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Luvs2TravelAnywhere
New York City, NY7,191 contributions
Apr 2015 • Solo
Mayne designed this building from the inside out and it embodies the advancement in art, architecture and engineering ....very cool. If you aren't into architecture and design this may not interest you.
Written 15 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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