The Tata Innovation Center is designed to leverage the resources of a major university with the world's leading technology-focused companies. The seven-story building supports Cornell Tech's efforts to fuse entrepreneurial and academic ambitions on its new Roosevelt Island campus in New York City. One-third of the 235,000-square-foot building hosts Cornell Tech studios, labs, classrooms, and event spaces, while the upper levels are dedicated to a mix of technology-focused companies and start-ups. All of the occupants share central, light-filled circulation spaces with panoramic skyline views and lounges that encourage social interaction and collaboration. The building's cantilevered southwest and northeast wings shelter outdoor social spaces that animate the ground floor retail spaces and entry terrace. Anticipating environmental challenges such as rising sea levels and increased flood risk, the Tata Innovation Center is designed for maximum resilience with an entry floor that rises seven feet above the 100-year flood plain. While the building`s exterior appears to be completely transparent, it is 60% opaque and 40% transparent—a ratio considered to be the “sweet spot” for sustainable design. A canopy featuring 24,000 square feet of solar panels shelters the building's landscaped roof terrace and defines its silhouette, further signaling the campus-wide commitment to sustainability. Envisioned as a crystalline incubator, the Tata Innovation Center establishes a catalytic setting for research and innovation.
