York College, a City University of New York School, is located in the neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens. WDLA designed the Cardinal Walk, a 200 foot long by 16 foot wide "green" crosswalk, providing a critical link between the York College Campus and the surrounding community.
An approximately 2,400 square foot outdoor lounge space on the west end of the connector features ornamental grasses, bulbs and woody shrubs carefully selected to commemorate the college’s colors during different seasons. A red sculptural pergola floats above an asphaltic walkway with granite block “carpets” and custom red glass pavers, another nod to school spirit.
The pergola’s roof was designed to resemble a bird’s nest and is decorated with randomly placed steel tubes and red plexiglass strips that cast random solid and translucent colored shade patterns on the fine aggregate pavement and curved ipe bench below.
Lush planting and indirect, reflective lighting signal a transition from the urban setting to a softer, more relaxed campus environment.
Status: Completed 2009