Walking Tour: Modern and Contemporary Architecture on Roosevelt Island

Meet in front of the entrance to the Church of the Good Shepherd 15 minutes prior to tour start time.

This tour will begin with Nelson Rockefeller’s ambitious efforts to redevelop the island, previously occupied by institutions, such as the New York City Lunatic Asylum serving the city’s sick and destitute, into a mixed-income largely car-free “New Town in Town” following a master plan prepared in 1969 by Philip Johnson and John Burgee. While that plan was only partially completed due to the fiscal crisis of 1975, many buildings were designed by leading Modern architects of the day: John Johansen, Josep Lluís Sert, and Kallman & McKinnell. 

Four decades later, Cornell Tech, a new graduate campus of Cornell University, opened in 2017 with bold design and exceptional energy efficiency. When completed, The House, designed by Handel Architects, was the tallest and largest building ever built to the demanding Passive House Standard. Other highlights include the restored Blackwell farmhouse and Good Shepherd Chapel, James Renwick’s Smallpox Hospital ruins, and the Eastwood Apartment Complex. Finally, at the island’s southern tip, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Four Freedoms Memorial, designed by Lou Kahn in 1973 and finally realized in 2012.

AIANY Guide: John Arbuckle, Assoc. AIA

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Health and Safety Guidelines: 

AIANY cannot be held liable and assumes no responsibility for any injury or loss incurred by participants in these programs. Tour is limited to 17 attendees. Walkups cannot be guaranteed a spot on the tour. 

Cancellation Policy: 
AIANY Walking Tours take place rain or shine, please dress for the weather. There are no refunds, cancellations, or exchanges, unless we cancel a tour.