As one of the region’s busiest healthcare institutions, Erie County Medical Center sought to transform its primary entrance into a welcoming and uplifting gateway for patients, families, visitors and staff.
Client
Erie County Medical Center
Location
Erie County, New York
Project Type
General
Photographer
Tim Wilkes Photography
Completed
2020
Size
4,000 sq. ft.
Services
Architecture, Interior Design, Structural Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
CPL partnered with ECMC to design the Russell J. Salvatore Front Entrance Pavilion, creating a new arrival experience that balances the functional demands of a major medical center with an environment centered on comfort, connection and well-being.
Natural light and dramatic verticality define the pavilion. The roof curves upward to a height of approximately 50 feet, creating an open, expansive volume that establishes a clear sense of arrival. A continuous skylight extends from the exterior wall into the curved roof structure, bringing abundant daylight deep into the lobby and creating a bright, inviting transition from the exterior into the hospital.
Inside, the design supports ECMC’s vision for the lobby to serve as a “community living room”—a comfortable and approachable space where people can orient themselves, gather and connect.
A cascading light sculpture above the main reception area creates a central visual focal point, while the overall composition of light, scale and interior elements helps soften the institutional experience often associated with large healthcare environments.
Made possible through a generous donation from Russell J. Salvatore, the pavilion establishes a prominent new identity for ECMC while creating a more meaningful front door for the institution. The completed space demonstrates how thoughtful healthcare design can make the first moments of a hospital experience more intuitive, welcoming and supportive for the community it serves.
“Our design approach for the new entrance was to contrast the large mass of original precast concrete panels, which had you entering the building through a dark, almost forbidding, entry way.”
— Michael Mistriner, AIA, CPL Principal-in-Charge
