Columbia University
Vagelos Education Center

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.