Jacob K. Javits Center:
Medical Station & Temporary Field Hospital Project
Winner of the IIDA 2021 Healthcare Design Awards:
Transformation & Innovation Category
https://iida.org/competition/2021-healthcare-design-awards
Transformation & Innovation Category
https://iida.org/competition/2021-healthcare-design-awards
Winner of the 2021 Design Awards – Design Award of Honor:
Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) New York Council
https://www.sarany.org/2021-design-award-winners
Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) New York Council
https://www.sarany.org/2021-design-award-winners
di Domenico + Partners (dD+P), under directive from the Governor’s Office and the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, was retained to take quick action in providing design and construction build-out services for a secure, patient-oriented, yet temporary hospital that could ease pressure on the strained NYC healthcare system.
The Javits Center, known as a world class convention center, had the ability to quickly pivot to
become a site of refuge and provide mass triage to nearly 4,000 patients in part to the vast amounts of open space the exhibition halls on both exhibit floors could provide.
The original design was intended to admit non-COVID patients, but as COVID-19 case numbers began to seem untenable, the hospital was transitioned into a COVID specific treatment facility – further adding to the complexity of the project.
This unprecedented endeavor involved design and collaboration between dD+P, the Javits Center, and a wide range of agencies including the US Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, the National
Guard, the NYS DHS, the NYS DOH, and NYC Emergency Management. The design had to be tailored around the facility’s versatile infrastructure such that it could be functional and practical enough to house as many patients and staff – as safely – as possible.
Utilizing architectural expertise in the wake of collective adversity within NYC is something that
dD+P is well-versed in - having worked on emergency projects following events like 9/11 and Superstorm Sandy. With collaborations at the Javits Center since 1986, dD+P has a deep
understanding of the facility, its infrastructure, and its potential to host wide-ranging programmatic needs.
dD+P’s approach was to take the emergency and temporary hospital program requirements, outlined by FEMA and the NYS DOH, and translate them into an interim medical facility coordinated by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
As the design progressed, collaboration became smoother in implementing hospital design features. Once designated as a COVID-19 patientcare facility, the hospital’s design was adapted to follow even stricter medical compliance while still maintaining a comfortable and hospitable atmosphere for a wider demographic of patient needs. The final design complimented the Javits Center’s existing organization and aesthetic while preserving its integrity as a global meeting place.
Every project that dD+P undertakes aspires to provide responsive design solutions that are meaningful to clients and their user groups. This endeavor was no different, but, given the project’s nature, an additional purpose was elevated. First and foremost, this temporary hospital was designed to accommodate the needs of patients and staff, but it also served as a symbol of community and civic leadership during this period. By providing 4,000 additional beds to the citizens of NYC, this project was able to offer up comfort and peace of mind to a city steeped in uncertainty.
