John Jay Club Row Transforms Student Life at CUNY Campus

Shakespeare Gordon Studio (SGS) has brought a fresh sense of community to John Jay College of Criminal Justice with the design of Club Row, an interior renovation tucked into a highly trafficked area of the Manhattan campus. The project takes a second-floor corner of the SOM-designed New Building and reimagines it as a flexible, welcoming home for student organizations—a kind of open-source headquarters for extracurricular activity.

Designing with Empathy and Intent

Shakespeare Gordon Studio, a certified woman-owned practice known for thoughtful and urban-responsive design, approached Club Row with an eye toward both functionality and ambiance. Led by Amy Shakespeare and supported by a team that includes Ashima Chitre, M?Dung Nguy?n, and Sean Kennedy, SGS’s interventions are subtle yet specific. Here, their goal wasn’t to make a flashy student center—it was to create an adaptable, human-scaled environment that feels owned by its users. The firm, whose portfolio spans everything from clinics to university labs, rooted this project in a desire to empower students with space that feels open yet clearly delineated for purposeful use. There’s nothing sterile or overworked about the design; instead, it quietly supports activity and expression.

A Cohesive Layout for Community and Privacy

Previously a patchwork of isolated rooms, the new Club Row opens things up. A central meeting area is structured around custom-built millwork booths, laid out in two material-driven rows. On the interior, white oak brings warmth and cohesion; along the exterior curtain wall, translucent acrylic lets natural light filter through. The thoughtful use of materials keeps the design legible while visually breaking up the long rectangular footprint of the floorplate. The booths support both solo work and small group collaboration, and their configuration promotes a sense of togetherness without feeling crowded. Between the seating zones, a playful color palette introduces liveliness without overwhelming the senses.

Supporting Diverse Student Needs

The core meeting zone is balanced by a range of other spaces that serve the needs of a multifaceted student body. These include a large multipurpose room with movable partitions—designed to host events and be subdivided as needed—along with dedicated club offices, a fully soundproofed recording studio, and a newsroom. Rather than just being a lounge with vague programming potential, Club Row is clearly equipped for real activity. Storage lockers line one wall, each assigned to specific clubs and outfitted with custom felt covers that absorb sound and provide a decorative canvas. The inclusion of a campus store and staff offices gives the area a semi-public character that threads administration and student life together.

Subtle Design, Lasting Impact

Club Row isn’t flashy, and that’s part of its strength. It reflects a careful calibration of atmosphere, function, and context. Located just off the building’s 11th Avenue atrium, the space doesn’t announce itself loudly—it invites. By turning an overlooked floorplate into a structured yet casual extension of campus life, SGS has created a space where students can genuinely take ownership of their activities. It’s institutional design with a light touch, but meaningful results.

Technical Sheet