W 59th Street

Organization Name: Dattner Architects

Project Title: W 59th Street

Project Location: New York, NY

Project Description:
The 59th Street Shelter reimagines emergency shelter as an integrated civic and healthcare resource for women experiencing homelessness. Developed by Project Renewal and Hudson, the new 9-story, 200-bed facility combines residential accommodations, an Article 28 healthcare clinic, and supportive programming within a dignified, welcoming environment. Responding to its dense urban context and adjacent park, the building's massing creates opportunities for landscaped courtyards, green roofs, and terraces. A cast-in-place concrete structure allows generous daylight into street-facing sleeping rooms, while a carefully articulated façade establishes a residential rather than institutional character. Landscaped thresholds mediate between the shelter and surrounding neighborhood, while an outdoor terrace offers opportunities for passive recreation. Designed to achieve LEED Gold, the project integrates sustainability, wellness, and access to nature into essential civic infrastructure.

Community Impact:
The 59th Street Shelter addresses New York City's homelessness crisis by providing safe, purpose-built emergency accommodations for 200 women, integrating healthcare and supportive services to foster healing, stability, and pathways toward permanent housing. Its Article 28 clinic offers primary care and mental health services, with public-facing healthcare access extending the project's benefits to the surrounding community.

Recognizing that emergency shelter must provide more than a place to sleep, the project incorporates trauma-informed programming within an environment designed to support dignity, safety, and wellbeing. Daylit sleeping rooms, welcoming shared spaces, and landscaped outdoor areas promote comfort, recreation, and opportunities for respite. Its residential architectural expression challenges the institutional character traditionally associated with shelters, demonstrating how thoughtful design can transform essential social infrastructure into a positive neighborhood asset. The project establishes a model for integrating housing stability, healthcare, and human-centered design.

Organization Description:
Project Renewal is a New York City-based nonprofit dedicated to ending the cycle of homelessness by empowering people with health, homes, and jobs through innovative and comprehensive programs. Hudson is a New York City developer creating high-quality housing across the spectrum of affordability through collaboration, civic spirit, and sustainable design. Dattner Architects is a mission-driven, women-owned design firm creating engaging and essential architecture that enriches the urban experience and strengthens communities.

Team Members:

Project Renewal, Hudson, Dattner Architects, De Nardis Engineering, EP Engineering, Abel Bainnson Butz, Dot Dash, Hospitality House, Broadway Builders