▁expanded ▁dow nt own , ▁growing ▁significantly ▁– ▁both ▁in ▁student ▁body ▁size ▁and ▁academic ▁and ▁d orm itory ▁foot print ▁– ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁through ▁the ▁present . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁she er ▁mass ▁of ▁the ▁school ' s ▁real ▁estate ▁hold ings , ▁its ▁approach ▁to ▁architecture ▁has ▁often ▁been ▁critic ized . ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁when ▁noted ▁architecture ▁critic ▁Ada ▁Louise ▁Hu xt able ▁wrote ▁that ▁NY U ▁had ▁a ▁" cons istent ▁blind ness ▁to ▁the ▁area ' s ▁architect ural ▁and ▁historical ▁features ", ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁when ▁critic ▁James ▁Russell ▁wrote ▁that ▁" for ▁dec ades , ▁New ▁York ▁University ▁has ▁w aged ▁architect ural ▁war ▁on ▁Green wich ▁Village ", ▁the ▁school ▁has ▁developed ▁a ▁reputation ▁for ▁construction ▁that ▁is ▁ins ens itive ▁to ▁both ▁a est h etic ▁and ▁community ▁concerns . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁Bob st ▁Library , ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁and ▁the ▁many ▁d orm s ▁built ▁throughout ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁all ▁had ▁their ▁det ract ors , ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁K imm el ▁Center ▁for ▁University ▁Life ▁( open ed ▁ 2 0 0 3 ) ▁on ▁Washington ▁Square ▁South ▁spark ed ▁bro ader ▁attention . ▁Crit ics ▁said ▁the ▁building ▁would ▁ru in ▁the ▁Fif th ▁Avenue ▁view ▁through ▁the ▁Washington ▁Square ▁Arch ▁and ▁cast ▁a ▁shadow ▁on ▁the ▁park