Shreve Lamb and Harmon Associates | Bronze Plaque for Schools and Colleges | Extant | Jamaica | Religious Building | 1966 | 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.
Neumann, Herbert W. with Ryder, Alfred H. | Bronze Plaque for Rehabilitations and Alterations | Significantly Altered | Jamaica | Office Building | 1965 | The rehabilitation of this office building consisted of recladding the first floor in white granite and adding porcelain enamel panels of blue and white to the upper floors. The building also included newly designed stylized signage including the company’s blue gas flame, a projecting blue and white sign, and blue lettering above the new central entrance. Today the building has been completely stripped of all decorative elements and paneling, although the white granite at the base is still visible around the side entrances.
Heller, Simeon with Meltzer, George J. | Bronze Plaque for Rehabilitations and Alterations | Significantly Altered | Jamaica | Bank | 1963 | Not the only Queens Modern winner to be converted into a discount store, this former bank branch is now largely obscured by awnings and unfortunate painting over of much of the Regal Blue and Alabama White marble on the front facade. Passerby can mostly identify the building by the still prominent flagpoles at the roofline and the metal grill above the door. The interior had teak paneling (now gone) and an acoustic tile ceiling with recessed lighting, which is still visible in the commercial space. This project won an award as a combining and rehabilitation of two existing buildings and not as a new structure.
Robert J. Reilly and Associates | Honorable Mention | Extant | Jamaica | Religious Building | 1962 | This church is part of a much larger religious complex which also includes the award-winning convent of 1954. The church and neighboring monastery are in a Romanesque style and clad in tan and grey rough-cut ashlar stone, topped by a red tile roof.
Fellheimer and Wagner | Bronze Plaque for Schools and Colleges | Extant | Jamaica | School or College | 1959 | 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.
