The lobby-level student lounge will have access to an urban garden, providing a relaxing connection to nature and the outdoors.
For Weill Cornell Medicine alumni, an investment in the new student residence represents a special opportunity to support their alma mater – and the chance to help build a home that will nurture the next generation of physicians-in-training.
The residence, which will be located at the corner of East 74th Street and York Avenue, will replace the 67-year-old Olin Hall – with nearly double the capacity – offering medical students a sleek, modern apartment building that fosters the collaborative spirit that has long been a hallmark of the institution.
Joseph Habboushe (M.D. ’06)
“This unique sense of family was born in Olin Hall. So many of our alumni speak of it as if it were a castle,” says Dr. Joseph Habboushe (M.D. ’06), president of the Weill Cornell Medical College Alumni Association and assistant professor of clinical emergency medicine (interim). “Then, visit it and you’ll scratch your head when seeing how simple it is.”
“It has always been a rite of passage to live at Olin Hall – with its ‘cozy’ rooms, shared bathrooms and kitchens – and it has united all the students with a common living experience during one of the most exciting periods of one’s life,’’ says Dr. Edwin Su (M.D. ’97), treasurer of the Alumni Association and professor of clinical orthopaedic surgery. “But the new residence will unite students in a different way, with one of the most innovative and luxurious domiciles of any medical school.”
Edwin Su (M.D. ’97)
Although Dr. Habboushe says he initially felt some concern that the new residence might lack the warmth of the decades-old dormitory, he is confident that it will, in fact, greatly enhance the student experience with its carefully considered layout, design features, and spaces for collaboration and conversation – including its rooftop terrace.
Study nooks on the lobby level support academic achievement.
“This strong sense of community is so important not only to our education, but also to our development as physicians,” he says. “The support we have for each other during our studies extends well beyond graduation. It’s one of the reasons our alumni are incredibly successful, while maintaining such warmth and humanity.”
“As an alumnus, I feel proud – and envious – that the future students of Weill Cornell Medicine will have such a fantastic place to live and be so close to campus,’’ says Dr. Su.
