At the juncture of NJIT's campus of quads and streets on an urban edge in downtown Newark, the King Building is poised to become the Institute's new public face. The renovation of this building into an Academic Center will reconnect the school to the city through a transformation of its brutal 1970s façade. The program proposes to alter the envelope of the building to create a visual connection from the street through the King Building to the grand 1912 landmark behind it. The centerpiece of the project is a Discovery Hall, a central place where exhibit, production and presentation spaces are organized to feed off each other to encourage cross-pollination of ideas. Classrooms are designed on a flexible model, able to accommodate moderated discussions, lecture formats or small group study. An 800-seat auditorium, gym and pool will be renovated. The new Academic Center will act as a counterpoint to the Student Center, with social components tied to teaching, research and study.