Essex County College Preps $4M Student Center (Get A Sneak Peak)

NEWARK, NJ — Things are about to get state-of-the-art at Essex County College. On Monday, the college announced that it plans to open a $4 million media center and student lounge at its main campus in downtown Newark.

Designed by RSC Architects, the renovated 18,800-square-foot “Information Commons” has 140 computer workstations, seven classrooms, breakout rooms, open lounges and a computer lab.

The new space replaces the former Martin Luther King, Jr. Media Center and is located on the fourth floor of the Zachary Yamba building.

The year-long, $4 million project transformed the decades-old library into an open space that includes meeting areas, breakout rooms and information kiosks, college administrators stated.

The new center includes two interesting features: a “living wall” of regenerative plants and a curved “water wall” that utilizes synthetic oil between two pieces of glass to create the look of flowing water.

“Classes can put students under a lot of pressure, and they need a place to de-stress,” said Kenneth Mihalik, project manager for RSC Architects. “We brought in organic elements to create a sense of calm within an urban cityscape.”

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Artist Renderings: RSC Architects