Location
506 East 76th Street
Completion
2003
Client
Lycée Français de New York
Square Footage
158,000 SF
Architect
Ennead Architects LLP
Lycée Francais de New York
Sciame was the Construction Manager responsible for the construction of the new home for the Lycée Francais that unifies the K-12 school, which was previously housed in five separate buildings.
The new building, located on a thru-block site on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, is comprised of a five and a six-story structure connected by three full-lot floors and a north-south bridge at the second level with a central courtyard. Shared program spaces within the school such as the libraries, gymnasiums, cafeteria and auditorium unify the building at the three lower levels. The central space at each level collectively acts as the heart of the Lycée, providing an opportunity to define a true French Cultural Center for the school. The Grand Escalier, accessed through a double-height lobby, leads to a three hundred-seat auditorium.
Pre-cast concrete visually reminiscent of the school’s original historic limestone mansions and a translucent glass channel system were used for the facades to suggest a deep connection to the past. The contrast in materials invoke not only memories of the masonry traditions of the original school buildings (concrete), but through transparency (glass) suggest a promising new future for the Lycée Francais. Carved into the stone bases are the names of significant French and American historical and cultural figures. A transparent glass entry wall and projecting canopy mark the lobby on both the north and south sides of the building.
Project Awards
American Institute of Architects – NYS Chapter
Award of Excellence
What a night! A huge thank you to everyone who came out on Wednesday to represent Team Sciame at the 2025 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Central Park!
Despite the weather, the Sciame team showed up strong, lacing up and powering through the 3½-mile course!
We’re proud of the determination, camaraderie, and good humor everyone brought to a soggy evening in the park.
#jpmcc
New York Construction’s Contractor of the Year – Looking back, 2006 was a standout year for Sciame Construction. We were honored as Contractor of the Year, a testament to our growing reputation for delivering some of New York City’s most architecturally daring and culturally significant projects.
In April 2006, Sciame Construction completed the Morgan Library and Museum Expansion, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop and BBB Architects. The project was led by then EVP/Division Head Joseph Mizzi, who began his career at Sciame 11 years earlier in 1995.
The following month, our founder, Frank Sciame, passed the torch of day-to-day leadership by promoting Joseph Mizzi to President of Sciame Construction, while continuing to serve as Chairman and CEO.
This leadership transition helped shape the next chapter of our story, and was memorialized in the cover photo of New York Construction, and the firm’s Contractor of the Year honor.
Thanks a Half-Billion! – At Sciame Construction, we proudly led the effort to reimagine the WTC Memorial and Museum, a project of national significance. Frank Sciame, our founder, was tasked with creating a design that honored the original vision while staying within a $500 million budget. Working closely with Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Pataki, and a team of 13 advisers, including notable figures like Jack Rudin and Robert Douglass, we developed cost-effective design options, ultimately reducing the budget from nearly $1 billion to $510 million. Our approach preserved key elements like the voids, waterfalls, and pools while optimizing infrastructure and resizing the museum. Sciame’s commitment to excellence ensured a memorial that balances beauty, dignity, and sustainability.
Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center – Though relatively small in size, the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center was a technically complex project successfully constructed and delivered by Sciame Construction. This groundbreaking laboratory made an outsized impact on global health. It was here that Dr. David Ho pioneered the development of the revolutionary “AIDS cocktail,” a combination therapy that transformed HIV from a fatal diagnosis into a manageable condition. His groundbreaking work earned him the title of TIME magazine’s Man of the Year, underscoring the center’s profound contribution to the fight against the AIDS epidemic.
