The Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center

The Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center unites students across all four schools of Columbia University’s Medical College (Physicians & Surgeons, Nursing, Dental Medicine, and the Mailman School of Public Health), as well as the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The project reshapes the look and feel of the Medical Center, and provides spaces that facilitate the development of skills essential for modern medical practice.

The principle design strategy is the “Study Cascade,” a network of study and social spaces distributed along a stairway that extends the full height of the glazed tower. At each level, the stairway’s landings expand into alcove spaces of various sizes, configurations, and ambiences – small and focused, large and social, enclosed and private, open and communal.

Designed to be conducive to collaborative, team-based learning and teaching, the alcoves open onto south-facing outdoor terraces, and also connect to the north side of the tower that houses the stack of flexible academic classrooms and administrative spaces.

type: medical school education building
location: Columbia University, New York NY, USA
size: 10,000 square meters
year: 2016
lead architect and designer: Diller Scofidio + Renfro
executive architect: Gensler