One of the staircases leads down to the building's basement where a Central Energy Plant provides steam and chilled water used for heating and cooling.

皮亚诺的“The Forum”、艺术中心和神经科学研究设施 ， 是与SOM建筑事务所共同开发的曼哈顿上城基地总体规划的第一阶段的一部分 。 它涉及曼哈顿维尔社区的改造——一个夹在两条高架运输动脉之间的前工业区 ， 成为哥伦比亚大学的新枢纽 。

皮亚诺就关于该项目在边缘化区域的高档化方面的问题 ， 描述为这是一个未知后果的“微妙问题” 。

Piano's triptych of forum arts centre and neuroscience research facility form part of the first phase of a masterplan for the Upper Manhattan site which the architect has developed with architecture firm SOM. It involves the transformation of the Manhattanville neighbourhood – a former industrial site sandwiched between two elevated transport arteries – into a new hub for the university.