Dattner Architects

This new five-story school addition to PS 50 in Jamaica, Queens serves Pre-K through fifth grade and special education students, and adds 200 seats to the existing 1,921 student school. The original building dates from 1921 and is based on a pre-war typology used in many neighborhoods of New York: an articulated classroom bar with shared public spaces at its center. Complementing the existing structure, this 53,000 square foot addition features a terra cotta rain screen facade wrapping as well as new classrooms, a library, a cafeteria, and a gymnasium, offering panoramic views. A new central stair and lobby connects the existing building and addition. The addition adheres to the NYC School Construction Authority Green Building Guidelines.