Photo by Nic Lehoux, courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro
A building with a glass front.
A building with glass windows.
A person standing on a staircase.
A room with rows of chairs and tables and a large window.
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Columbia University
Vagelos Education Center

New York, New York

Designed to inspire and challenge Columbia University’s medical and graduate students, this new, LEED Gold-certified building provides state-of-the-art classroom and social spaces. As Executive Architect, Gensler collaborated closely with lead designer Diller Scofidio + Renfro, utilizing cutting-edge programs to solve design challenges. The final layout inverts the traditional horizontal campus into an interconnected vertical plan.  A cascading glass facade screens the multistory open plan while acting as a campus beacon. Named the Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center, the facility contains a full program of classroom spaces, including a large lecture hall, as well as critical technical spaces – anatomy labs and simulation centers – that align with world-class leadership in scientific research and medical care.