Best of 2006 Awards

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center - Mortimer B. Zuckerman Research Center

BEST OF 2006: Health Care and Hospitals

Faced with a chronic shortage of research facilities and little room to grow, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York went vertical with its Mortimer B. Zuckerman Research Center, which opened in September and nearly doubled its research space in a new 23- story tower.

“I think it’s an outstanding building,” said one of the judges. “It’s elegant. It really doesn’t stand out and say, ‘Oh look, we have a hospital in the neighborhood.’”

The $520 million center’s programmatic functions are arranged into three architectural components: research laboratories, a public circulation spine, and offices. Construction took place in phases to avoid disruption of existing laboratory operations in an adjacent structure. Turner Construction of New York broke ground on the 558,000-sq.-ft. tower in spring 2002 on a design by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of New York in collaboration with the Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership of Portland, Ore.

The structural-steel frame building sits midblock on an L-shaped, 1-acre lot, immediately south of the hospital campus. A portion of the new structure cantilevers more than 30-ft. over an existing 11-story laboratory facility on the Memorial Sloan campus.

Project crews excavated through solid bedrock to a depth of 75 ft. to form the foundation for the tower, hauling off 135,000 cu. yd. of rock and 11,100 cu. yd. of soil. The foundation used 7,325 cu. yd. of concrete, with an additional 12,500 cu. yd. of concrete used for the structure.

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“It was one of the toughest foundation projects in the city,” said another judge. 

The building promotes interaction and collaboration between bench scientists and clinicians through a modular, open space design for its wet laboratories, which facilitate biological and genetic research. A centrally located “interaction staircase” also aims to foster informal collaboration among researchers, who would rub elbows around the building.

Other space programming features include laboratory support space with walkin refrigerated units and dark rooms that run parallel to the labs; office and community spaces; and a vivarium with imaging and surgery facilities.

The building has a light-filled, open feel. A central spine runs the length of the laboratory floors, with floor-to-ceiling windows at each end. Transparent, translucent, and opaque scrims of etched glass separate the laboratories.

Glass and aluminum metal panels grace the exterior, along with 750,000 lbs. of terra cotta reinforced with precast concrete used to integrate the building into its Upper East Side neighborhood. The team has applied for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver certification.

At least 25 percent of the materials used were recycled and 20 percent were manufactured within 500 mi. of the project. In addition, the team recycled at least half of the construction waste. Energy efficiencies include systems for digital lighting control, heat-recovery, and variable air-conditioning, which adjusts itself to changing loads and energy demands and does not use ozone-depleting components. Exterior window sun-control devices minimize glare and harvest solar heat.

Key Players

Owner: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Construction Manager: Turner Construction

Architect, Structural Engineer: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Associate Architect: Zimmer Gunsel Frasca Partnership

Excavation Contractor: Laquila Construction

Concrete: Century Maxim Construction

M-E-P Engineer: Cosentini Associates and AEI (Affiliated Engineers Inc.)

Civil Engineer: Philip Habib and Associates

Geotechnical Engineer: GZA GeoEnvironmental

Acoustical-Vibration Consultant: Cerami & Associates

Steel: Cornell & Co.

Curtain Wall: Glassalum International