Project category: New construction (completed June 2006)

Chief administrator: Antonio Martin, Chief Executive Officer, (718) 883-2350

Firm: Perkins Eastman, (212) 353-7269

Design team: Jonathan Stark, Executive Team Member; Helen Cohen, Principal-in-Charge; Robert Adler, Project Manager; Duncan Reid, Lead Designer; Maria Jelinek, Designer; Shane Walton, Designer; Zeynep Aydin, Designer

Photography: ©2007 Paúl Rivera, ArchPhoto

Total building area (sq. ft.): 144,000

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $243

Total construction cost (excluding land): $35,000,000


Queens residents who once traveled to other counties to seek medical care now have a convenient location close to home. With approximately 135,000 patients expected annually, the new Ambulatory Care Pavilion completes the Queens Hospital’s modernization program, which consolidates its disparate outpatient programs into one facility. The five-story, 144,000-sq.-ft. structure accommodates primary care services, dental care, behavioral health, ophthalmology, and a diabetes treatment center.

Patient arrival areas are located along the sunlit south public concourse to take advantage of natural light, a key reliever of stress and anxiety. Likewise, staff areas sit along the north window perimeter. Each clinic is organized into three zones (patient arrival, clinical encounter, and staff work) to maximize patient convenience and streamline efficiency. Clearly delineated public and private zones help patients and family members easily navigate the hospital. Visitors arrive at the east public entry plaza and are welcomed by the two-story atrium. They use the eastern elevators to reach the main circulation corridor along the southern day-lit corridor. The staff entryway and circulation are found on the west.

The architects designed the new building in distinctive glass and concrete that complements the nearby inpatient building and connects via two glass-enclosed bridges at the second-floor level. Natural light permeates the facility via the south-facing glass curtainwall, which also supports intuitive wayfinding throughout the facility. Several clerestory windows placed above viewing height allow additional light to penetrate the interior spaces, while maintaining privacy.

The design team worked with a manufacturer to design modular partitions that allow added flexibility as programs change in the future. The wood-veneer partitions can also be flipped and reused, reducing the hospital’s operational costs.