This nonprofit complex shows the increasing stripped down design of the late 1960s and early 1970s with very little decoration to speak of. The building is two stories and clad in pale brick and granite. There was a simple grillwork of cast stone screening a balcony to the right of the entrance that has been removed, making the structure even more spare.
This educational building is built on a sharp slope above Hillside Avenue. The design is a simple brick faced box with peaked bays from the front connected to the neighboring church with a glassed in walkway. At the rear the building projects out over the parking lot with an additional floor exposed. A simple and effective design from the firm that gave us the Empire State Building.
Stickle and Associates were a prominent Cleveland-based firm responsible for Catholic schools across the country. Mater Christi might be one of their best locally, sited in a quiet area of Astoria, and featuring two massive wings to hold separate high schools for boys and girls. The top floor originally held faculty housing for the Sisters of Mercy and De La Salle Christian Brothers. Brick, limestone and black granite compose the architectural details with black and gold mosaic panels around the entrance. Not mentioned in the awards summary but equally interesting are the decorative crests that line the ends of each wing closest to street level. The school merged with St. John’s Preparatory School in 1980 and continues as a private school today.
Designed by major architectural firm Fellheimer & Wagner toward the end of its existence, this mid-century school has some unusual and engaging elements including a rounded, U-shaped central classroom space and bold blue terra cotta panels decorating the entrance areas. According to the Chamber of Commerce description, the building rambles over a sloping 8 1/2 acre site and is built of reinforced concrete and steel, partially to accommodate the weight of industrial equipment typical in a vocational school. The other major exterior elements are brick, steel windows and aluminum detailing around the entrance. The lower-rise portions of the building also feature angled roofs which give the entire structure an element of energy.
Founded in 1865, Lexington is the oldest and largest school for the deaf in New York State. This massive complex was built to accommodate 300 students in a campus setting. The buildings are clad in brick with concrete vertical and horizontal elements. The campus is set back from the streetwall with parking and landscaping in front. Both walls and windows on the buildings are double-paned with air space in between. In addition to classrooms, the campus includes a dormitory wing, gymnasium, auditorium, and swimming pool.