Levien & Co. completes construction of 27,000 s/f facility

Levien & Company has completed the development of New York University's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, an interdisciplinary research center focused on the ancient world, at 15 East 84th St., according to Kenneth Levien, president of the project management firm. "The institute was the dream of the late Leon Levy, co-founder of Oppenheimer & Co., and his wife, Shelby White, both generous philanthropists," said Amy Cohn, project manager at Levien & Co. "After Levy's death, White immediately began to work towards this goal. The Leon Levy Foundation pledged $200 million to New York University to establish and endow this independent center for scholarly research and graduate education, intended to cultivate comparative and connective investigations of the ancient world." She said, "To house the institute, Ms. White identified an early 20th century mansion half a block from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and worked to transform it into a 27,000 s/f cultural and academic facility." Levien & Company managed the project team, which included: Selldorf Architects; Altieri Sebor Wieber as the mechanical/electrical engineer; Gilsanz Murray Steficek as the structural engineer and EW Howell as the general contractor.