Safety should come before aesthetics

Yesterday, WSN published an article detailing the safety troubles with the new glass stairwell in the lobby of Tisch Hall. The stairwell is part of the Stern School of Business' $35 million Concourse Project, which began in 2008 and has restructured parts of Tisch Hall. In times of inclement weather, the glass stairs become extremely slick, causing some students to slip and fall. The university's solution to this problem is to close off the stairwell, forcing students to take alternate routes to the lower levels.

The WSN Editorial Board thinks that such a gigantic oversight — failing to take into consideration how the weather will affect the stairs — is unacceptable and just plain silly for a project that has been planned for so long and that has cost as much as it has. Having to entirely close off the stairwell while classes are in session is inconvenient and truly impractical.

This situation also makes us wonder which NYU values more: student safety or aesthetically appealing structures. It seems to us that fixing this problem would be a simple matter of texturizing the stairs or laying down mats that will add traction. But for the university to omit such a basic safety feature is puzzling. Would it not have been a much wiser investment to build a less visually appealing stairwell that would be suited for all weather conditions? Admittedly, we have no way of knowing what type of or how much planning went into this stairwell. But given the hefty price tag of the renovation, we think it is unreasonable that the university didn't at least take into account the effects weather would have on a glass stairwell.

The university must act with as much efficiency as possible to find a permanent solution to this problem. Closing the stairwell during poor conditions is not an option, considering New York weather. But this problem has become an issue of student safety, which must be given the absolute highest priority.

That a detail so simple as a safety concern was overlooked in the first place is disturbing to us. Its inefficient resolution is equally as concerning. Perhaps NYU should take a closer look at its priorities — and how its plans will affect student safety — for future renovations.

E-mail the editorial board at editboard@nyunews.com.