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.
Pomerance and Breines | Bronze Plaque for Schools and Colleges | Extant | Jackson Heights | School or College | 1968 | 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.
Moore and Hutchins Partnership | Bronze Plaque for Schools and Colleges | Extant | Flushing | School or College | 1970 | This building’s 13-story tower is visible from most points on the Queens College campus, acting as a focal point for administrative and classroom uses. The structure consists of the central tower and several wings of varying heights. The finishes are brick and steel with aluminum panels and windows, and metal canopies over all entrances. Queens College went through a major expansion throughout the 1960s and five of its buildings won Building Awards including the Colden Center, dining hall, and this one being the last.
Chapman Evans and Delehanty | Bronze Plaque for Public Buildings | Extant | Long Island City | School or College | 1958 | Aviation High School is a specialized trade high school purpose built for its somewhat unusual focus. Taking up an entire city block on Queens Boulevard in Woodside and accommodating 2,500 students, the school includes normal educational facilities like classrooms and a cafeteria but also a hangar and shops where students work on donated aircraft. The complex is of a Miesian design, largely unaltered, and includes a curtain wall design with aluminum framed windows and enamel panels in a green-blue hue. A light colored brick is also employed. The main entrance, actually on 36th Street, features a large stainless steel sculpture running up the side of the building and according to the Queens Awards program is an abstraction of aircraft vapor.
