The MDSA-designed Pre-K Center in Queens opened in September 2022. The school exhibits a mixture of colors, materials and textures, common in the work of the firm, and fitting to the Mosaic name.
The new center features include –
- Serving the Corona neighborhood, the new three-story school is located near the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadow Park.
- Façade articulation and material palette blend with surroundings.
- Landscape areas provide outdoor-play space available to local residents after school hours.
- Expansive glass surfaces with shade control permit significant natural light to interiors.
- Energy-modeling design maximizes green‑school credits.
- Glass enclosed main stair provides views to play areas and park and makes a connection to the Hall of Science.
The facility includes 17 classrooms for 306 students and two multi‑purpose rooms. The interiors use a variety of materials that link together the common and classroom spaces with a soft yet vibrant color palette. The building is a concrete structure with a highly efficient precast‑concrete, curtain‑wall, and metal‑rainscreen envelope that exceeds energy‑code requirements.
Client
Completion Date
Fall 2022
Size
33,000 SF
Services Provided
Full Architectural Services
Programming/Feasibility Study
Schematic Design, Design Development and Construction Documents, Construction Administration
Project Type
New Building
Awards
2024 AIA New York State Excelsior Awards, Honor Award, New Construction
2024 PCI Design Awards, Honorable Mention, K‑12 School
2023 Queens Chamber of Commerce Building Awards
“This unique partnership between a preschool and a science center is an opportunity to showcase the ways in which science can be a powerful tool for all children — supporting the Corona community, enhancing the park and leveraging New York City’s only hands-on science museum in the process”
Margaret Honey, President and CEO at NYSCI (New York Hall of Science)
The design incorporates a variety of materials including architectural precast concrete, metal panel, aluminum and glass curtain wall, and terra cotta for a sophisticated, yet playful aesthetic. The community playground is open to the public after school hours, providing a safe place to play and socialize, with a variety of play structures and both sun and shade seating. Classrooms are organized in modules along the East face. Each classroom features a bay of three pairs of sawtooth‑configured windows with colored terracotta accents that match the room interiors.
The glass-enclosed stair offers a place to pause and enjoy the view of the park and the neighboring NY Hall of Science. A precast panel appears as if it were pulled out to reveal a window. Sawtooth windows are partially shaded by projecting precast with inlaid colorful terracotta tile.
The Vision
The Details
