New York City charter high school moves to former icehouse in the South Bronx

A charter high school in New York City has moved to its new location—a long-vacant former icehouse in the South Bronx.

DREAM Charter High School left behind its campus in East Harlem and began classes last month in the 120-year-old facility at 20 Bruckner Boulevard that was built by a brewer who later became owner of the New York Yankees.

The school says its 191,000-square-foot facility has a state-of-the-art gym with a regulation-size basketball court; a cathedral-style, light-filled library space; a STEAM quad featuring specialty classrooms and laboratories; a double-height arts wing with built spatial flexibility; and a rooftop that will function as an outdoor classroom, play space, and garden.

The building also has two dining halls and a fully equipped kitchen that will support a scratch-cooking meal program. A large-scale mural on the third floor depicts DREAM’s organizational history, and multiple classrooms and other shared spaces feature sweeping views of the Harlem River and the Manhattan skyline.

In fall 2023, DREAM Mott Haven Elementary and Middle schools will move into the building. Eventually, 20 Bruckner will serve about 1,300 students.

The architect is Adjaye Associates.

Michael Kimmelman, architecture critic for The New York Times, writes that the $50 million renovation of the icehouse has created “one of the most spectacular school buildings in the city.”