When 17 Lex (now the Lawrence and Eris Field Building) first opened, it was the center of the Baruch universe. With all classes and many activities taking place under one roof, 17 Lex provided students with a warm, welcoming home. The addition of new outposts—especially the Information and Technology Building and the Newman Vertical Campus—gradually weakened students’ bonds with the older structure. The upcoming renovation of 17 Lex, however, will re-establish old feelings and build new bonds with both alumni and current students, welcoming them home again.
An Impressive History
The Lawrence and Eris Field Building, a.k.a. 17 Lex, is the historic hub—and sentimental heart—of Baruch College. The structure has meant many things to many people over its 82-year lifetime. Built in 1929 to house the College of the City of New York’s School of Business and Civic Administration, 17 Lex was touted, in a New York Times article heralding its construction, as “the largest structure anywhere devoted to the teaching of up-to-date business methods.”
