The New Deal Infrastructure of New York: The Hospitals of Isadore Rosenfield

Abstract

In New York, the New Deal saw the construction of a new breed of hospitals under the direction of Isadore Rosenfield (1893-1980). Though quasi-unknown today, his contribution to the field of hospital design cannot be overstated in terms of the quantity of facilities he built on four continents and the philosophy underlying his activities as an architect, planner and educator. Currently, though, even his most successful buildings are being demolished or converted without documentation. The author examines the context and some issues encountered in his photographic recording of these facilities and looks at their potential considering today’s larger challenges.