Artistic rendering of campus, 1965.

Beginning in the 1970s, the overly functional and brutal concrete Breuer designs fell out of favor. Once admired for their imaginative and simple aesthetic, critics argued that the buildings lacked softness. In the 1987 American Institute of Architect’s Guide to New York City the author described Begrisch Hall as an exercise in “concrete pomposity.” This negative feedback waned throughout the decades, as architectural trends have changed again, but the Breuer buildings in the Bronx remain mainly unknown.

Breuer enjoyed working with NYU and hoped to proceed with the expansion plan (there were plans to create a Tech III), but alas, his relationship with NYU ended once the school sold the campus to Bronx Community College.

Click the the thumbnails below for more images of Breuer’s buildings through the years.