Harlem Hospital

The 5-story modernization of the Harlem Hospital Center in New York, NY unifies a campus of previously isolated structures creating one large complex. The addition of a new Patient Pavilion expands the hospital’s current program to include independent emergency department services and updated layouts of existing units. A new unitized curtain wall encloses the pavilion, establishing a new main entrance for the hospital along Lenox Ave. In addition to the inherent performance enhancements the new facade brings to the building, the focal point of the redevelopment is the 12,000 Sq.Ft. mural integrated into the curtain wall that welcomes visitors to the hospital. African-American artist Vertis Hayes created “The Pursuit of Happiness” mural in 1937 as a commissioned project to decorate the hospital interior. Inspired by this work of art, excerpts of the mural were selected to be digitally printed to the glass panes that make up the curtain wall facade. The mural soars to a height of 65′ spanning the entire street block and is back lit by interior cove lighting creating a virtual light box; a beacon celebrating its historic cultural context to both Harlem and its diverse community of cultures.

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