Renovated facility is new home for Temple University's College of Public Health

Temple University in Philadelphia has completed its two-and-a-half-year renovation of Paley Hall.

The university says that every academic department within the College of Public Health (CPH) has relocated to the building, and classes will be held there when the 2025-26 academic year on Aug. 25. 

The renovation of the facility, the university's former library, began in spring 2023.  

“Simply put, the completely renovated, expanded, and re-imagined Paley Hall is a remarkable facility,” Temple President John Fry said. “From its innovative teaching spaces and lecture halls to its expansive simulation center, everything within this building is state of the art.” 

The 306,000-square-foot LEED- and WELL- certified facility will serve as the permanent home for CPH. Prior to the opening of Paley Hall, CPH was spread across 10 buildings on the main and health science campuses.    

The architects are PZS Architects and S/L/A/M and the builder is Rycon Construction.

The teaching spaces within Paley are among its most notable features. The simulation center is an immersive learning space that includes a replica park, restaurant, corner grocery store, North Philadelphia row home and an ambulance bay. The Aramark Community Teaching Kitchen is a cutting-edge culinary classroom that will serve as a hub for nutrition education, hands-on cooking instruction and community engagement. 

To create the new Paley Hall, the original concrete structure from the original building (the former Paley Library) was left in place. Once four and a half stories, the structure now has five. 

In addition to CPH, the building is home to a two-story campus bookstore. The store has  technological integrations that make for a seamless course-material pickup experience.