Located within an urban campus on the upper east side of Manhattan, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine occupies the 12th & 13th floors of a 26-story tower completed in 1975. To meet the 21st century needs of the students and faculty, Michielli + Wyetzner Architects designed new offices for the Dean of Medical Education (construction completed 2006) and a phased project for student spaces, including a new 150-seat auditorium, teaching laboratories, seminar rooms, student lounges and study spaces.
MWA reconfigured the floors so that corridors are wider and open to views to the exterior, bringing natural light deep into the interior. New sustainable materials such as cork, marmoleum, and recycled nylon carpets are combined with glass walls and baffle ceilings to provide a warm, maintenance-free environment.
The design of the teaching spaces reflects the new direction of medical education. State-of-the-art distance learning and audio-visual and computer aids are incorporated into all classrooms. The free-form auditorium on the 12th floor provides an identifiable center for the program while the space surrounding it acts as the informal gathering area for the school. These new spaces for informal interaction create a campus-like atmosphere for the floors.
In addition, Michielli + Wyetzner Architects have completed projects for various other constituencies at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine including the Department of Orthopaedics and the Department of Oncological Science/Cancer Prevention Control.