Celebrating Design Excellence in New York State Public Art & Architecture.
Now in its 10th year, the AIANYS Excelsior Awards program shines a spotlight on excellence in publicly funded buildings, outdoor spaces, and public art across the state, as well as the professionals who champion them. Recognizing nine outstanding projects in categories such as Historic Preservation, Landscape Architecture, New Construction, and Renovation/Addition, the awards underscore the importance of design integrity, functionality, and community impact. Chaired by Paul McDonnell, AIA, the jury evaluated projects based on criteria encompassing design principles, socio-economic benefits, and user satisfaction, among others. Over the past 10 years, more than 100 projects statewide have received this esteemed recognition.
2024 Excelsior Award Recipients
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Merit Award
2050 Grand Concourse
Bronx, New York
Submitted By: Magnusson Architecture and Planning PC & Unique People Services/ Robert Sanborn Development
Photo Credit: © 2024 Ari Burling Creative; ImagenSubliminal (Miguel de Guzman + Rocio Romero); ©David Sundberg/Esto
2050 Grand Concourse reinterprets Art Deco for urban living, anchoring a vacant corner of NYC’s prominent thoroughfare. The mixed-use, multifamily building offers 96 apartments, including units for low- to moderate-income households and adults with chronic illness. It features amenities like landscaped terraces, community spaces, and LEED Platinum certification, promoting sustainable development and community support. To […] -
Merit Award
Barrington House
Rochester, New York
Submitted By: PLAN Architectural Studio
Photo Credit: © Tim Wilkes / portfolio.timwilkes.com
Barrington House, a first in Monroe County, is a 28-bed community residence in Rochester, offering recovery support for women and their children. The three-story building on a half-acre site features strategic parking, green space, and a secure play area. It’s near essential services, designed for comfort, efficiency, and community impact. To learn more, click here. -
Merit Award
Brooklyn Public Library, Sunset Park Branch
Brooklyn, New York
Submitted By: Mitchell Giurgola
Photo Credit: © Albert Vecerka /ESTO
The new Sunset Park Library, a collaboration between Brooklyn Public Library, New York City, New York State, and the Sunset Park community, revitalizes a formerly underutilized site. Partnering with the Fifth Avenue Committee, the library and affordable housing project doubles the library’s size to 20,000 square feet. Designed by Mitchell Giurgola, it features distinct entries […] -
Merit Award
Corona 3K Center
Corona, New York
Submitted By: Circular
Photo Credit: © Frank Oudeman. Copyright ©2023-2024 Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture, DBA Circular
This project, under the NYC School Construction Authority’s 3K Capacity program, repurposes existing or under-construction buildings for schools in Corona, Queens. The goal is to quickly expand 3K seating citywide. Serving a rapidly growing neighborhood, the project delivers a comfortable, efficient, and playful 3K center to meet high demand for childcare and schooling. To learn […] -
Honor Award
Exterior Preservation of the H. Carl McCall SUNY Administration Building-Towers
Albany, NY
Submitted By: architecture+
Photo Credit: © architecture+
The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building, a historic hub in Albany, formerly the Delaware & Hudson Railroad HQ and Albany Evening Journal office, now houses SUNY System Administration and State University Construction Fund. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it’s a city skyline icon, renovated in phases since the 1970s to maintain a […] -
Honor Award
Hunter’s Point South Waterfront Park
Queens, New York
Submitted By: Weiss/Manfredi and SWA/Balsley with ARUP
Photo Credit: © Jonnu Singleton; Wade Zimmerman; David Lloyd; Barrett Doherty; Albert Vecerka/Esto
Hunter’s Point South Park transforms 30 acres of post-industrial waterfront into a multifunctional public space and protective perimeter. It serves as an urban ecological model, blending waterfront and city elements. The park features active and passive recreation areas, wetlands, recreational facilities, and scenic views, connecting the community to the water’s edge. To learn more, click […] -
Honor Award
Mosaic Pre-K Center at New York Hall of Science
Queens, New York
Submitted By: MDSzerbaty Associates Architecture (MDSA)
Photo Credit: © Pavel Bendov / ArchExplorer
The Mosaic Pre-K Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, is NYC’s first state-of-the-art facility offering early childhood STEAM education in partnership with the New York Hall of Science. It provides free all-day 3K and Pre-K programming to low-income families, adjacent to the interactive museum, promoting continuous learning and community engagement through a sustainable, energy-efficient design. […] -
Honor Award
Neighborhood of Play
Rochester, New York
Submitted By: CJS ARCHITECTS, LLC
Photo Credit: © 2023 Kim Smith Photo; Gary Ledgerwood
The Neighborhood of Play project began in 2014 with the removal of Rochester’s Inner Loop East Expressway. CJS Architects developed a masterplan for the Strong National Museum of Play, proposing an expanded museum, residential units, commercial space, and a hotel. Completed in 2023, the 12-acre neighborhood resulted from public-private partnerships. To learn more, click here. -
Merit Award
The Rehabilitation of Alumni Hall
Oneonta, New Yotk
Submitted By: Thaler Reilly Wilson Architecture & Preservation
Photo Credit: © David Sundberg
SUNY Oneonta’s Alumni Hall, originally built as the campus library in 1960, was converted into an office building in the mid-1970s. Recently renovated, the three-story, 48,000 square-foot building now houses the Advancement and Alumni offices and the School of Economics and Business. It features classrooms, study rooms, a student innovation center, and a Bloomberg trading […]
Click here to view the program booklet with more information on the Excelsior Award recipients.
Click here to view the video celebrating the Excelsior Award recipients.