New York Hospital Queens Astoria Primary Care Clinic

Project Details

Project Description

FROM THE ARCHITECTS:

This new off- site primary care clinic is one in a series of new neighborhood practices intended to raise the profile of the New York Hospital Queens in the surrounding community. Located in Astoria, on a corner site along the busy thoroughfare of 30th Avenue, the distinctive design is intended to give this satellite facility a powerful presence in the neighborhood. A new entrance canopy was added to provide shelter and act as an emblem for the facility. The canopy leads into a ceiling plane within the waiting room; visible from the exterior it creates a strong form along the street.

A perforated metal screen was used to mask the irregular pattern of existing windows on the ground floor. The screen allows daylight to enter during the day and artificial light to emit a mysterious glow on the exterior in the evening. Floating above the newly clad ground floor, the second story brick box is unchanged save for the front elevation where the two existing windows were combined into one overt horizontal opening increasing the natural light in the upper waiting room and forming a distinct composition in harmony with the glass and steel elevation below.

The two-story brick building was completely gutted to accommodate new exam and consultation rooms. The main circulating corridor on both floors is located along the perimeter of the cross street to allow natural light to enter into the patient area. Waiting rooms on the first and second floor will allow ample amounts of controlled natural light into the space.

Distinct geometric volumes interact with each other at the reception desk and a new boldly-colored enclosed stair volume provides a dramatic transition between floors and is also visible from the street. In addition, an illuminated ceiling spills light onto the sidewalk through the floor to ceiling glass contributing to the unique presence of NYHQ in the surrounding area.