The proposed design transforms the existing building into a new podium, opening to East 67th Street with a glass atrium entry leading into a wide, well-lit interior “street” connecting to East 66th Street. This link is designed to serve as a main artery that binds the circulatory and collaborative spaces including the information desk, the auditorium, conference center, food services, and shared instrumentation labs. The large auditorium is designed to support the surrounding community and the familiar Blood Donation facility—a fixture of the city’s landscape for many decades—will continue serve as the reflection of NYBC’s commitment to community unity and cooperation.
The design further integrates green spaces through light wells which would be transformed into gardens and open to the atrium to add dimension and daylight, adding to the collaborative environment of the common area of the building. The gardens are designed to bring a quiet and natural outdoor interaction space. A third-floor roof terrace adds additional green space atop the podium, offering opportunities to access natural light and fresh air for occupants of the new high-rise overbuild.