New research center blends with existing medical complex. (Cornell University's Lasdon Biomedical Research Center)

Flexible laboratory space is created within a Gothic-style building in New York City

Evoking an architectural style in a new building that is reminiscent of its surroundings can be a tricky task in itself. That task becomes even more formidable when the building stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the style in question. Such was the case with Cornell University's Lasdon Biomedical Research Center, a 104,000,sq.,ft. infill addition on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Inspired by the architectural style of the surrounding buildings, most notably New York Hospital, Boston architect Payette Associates Inc. designed the 10-story building to capture elements of the Avignon Gothic style prevalent throughout the medical complex. That Lasdon Center was sandwiched between two structures and had to envelop a two-story, existing connector further complicated the already difficult task.

Positioning the building in the center of a functioning medical center, with residential buildings on its outskirts, was yet another challenge in an endless array of design constraints facing the architect. Moreover, the research center was to blend harmoniously with the existing area and, for the most part, give the appearance that it had been there virtually forever. Complex construction sequencing

Driven by the need to construct Lasdon Center without interrupting ongoing research in the adjacent structures, the job posed a complex exercise in construction sequencing. Leslie Glynn, the project manager and a Payette associate, noted the difficulty of determining who had to be alerted when major services had to be shut down and when jackhammering and other construction procedures threatened to interrupt or destroy experiments.

A sequencing report was developed to ensure that efforts were coordinated and that …