Since the 1960s the modernism style has reigned as the icon on the campus of Columbia University Medical Center. Architect Emery Roth designed those structures with monumental solids, proudly facing the 168 St in Upper Manhattan. But changes in the workplace and in medical education, the wide use of digital tools, varied events, increased collaboration among students and the imperative for energy efficiency have all argued for upgrades and change.

While maintaining the geometry of the existing structure, the gallery’s wood slat wall design exposes and embraces the challenging existing conditions. Similar to crafting the hull of a wooden boat, the slim vertical Ash wood slats cradle the form of the auditorium producing its complex shape and integrates the building’s original structures. The cascading curvature of the wood frames highlight the profile of the mezzanine floor and creates a delightful sense of space.