Located on the campus of the Queens Hospital Center in Jamaica, New York, the Queens Gateway to the Health Sciences Secondary School provides to students who have a particular interest in medical practice an intellectual background attuned to the health care professions.
Designed to the exacting standards established by the New York City School Construction Authority, the project includes classrooms for 800 students, 11 science labs, an auditorium seating 297, library, an art studio, a cafeteria, gymnasium and staff offices.
Constrained by an underground utility tunnel, the site predicated a compact and symmetrically organized building. The primary teaching spaces are arranged in a series of wings around a centrally located gymnasium, resulting in a U shaped plan. Since the gym spans two stories and is located a level below grade, the surrounding hallways at the ground floor have views into the space from above. Skylights on the roof of the gym flood the surrounding hallways with natural light.
Show Facts
Site
64,800 s/f (240' x 270') on Goethals Avenue in Jamaica, Queens; site is part of the Queens Medical Center
Components
297-seat auditorium, gymnasium, 24 classrooms, 11 science labs, art studio, cafeteria, staff offices
Client
New York City School Construction Authority
PCF&P Services
Architecture, exterior envelope, interior design of public spaces
lead designer
Brick masonry construction ensures durability of the exterior over time, while a mural by the artist Sarah Morris activates the colonnade and reveals to the public the inner life of the institution.
Project Credits
Structural: Ysrael A. Seinuk, P. C., New York; M/E/P / Civil/ Lighting / Security: Cosentini Associates, New York; Interiors: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners; Images: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Paul Warchol