Home » More About BBG » New Visitor Center
A New Visitor Center
With the approach of its centennial in 2010, the Garden looks forward to both celebrating past achievements and creating new ways to engage and inspire future generations. In this spirit, BBG is pleased to unveil plans for an extraordinary new Visitor Center pavilion, which will break ground in summer 2009 and open in 2011. Already receiving acclaim, it has been presented with a prestigious Award for Excellence in Design by the Public Design Commission of the City of New York.
“We believe our architects have created a building ideally suited to its site and the BBG mission, combining exceptional beauty with a level of environmentally sustainable measures that assure this is a model of how to build in the 21st century.”
Frederick Bland, Board Chairman
The new Visitor Center will transform the undersized entrance adjacent to the northern parking lot at 900 Washington Avenue. Visitors will cross a welcoming plaza, accented with striking plantings, to enter a stunning, environmentally advanced building nestled into the existing berm at the northern end of the Cherry Esplanade. Inside, visitors will be treated to an unfolding series of panoramic views, delighting the eye in every season and drawing the imagination deeper into the Garden.
The Visitor Center will house a new garden shop, an orientation room for tours and classes, an information desk, an event space, a refreshment bar, and ample restrooms. Visitors will learn what is in bloom, how to read a plant label, how to register for a course, and when upcoming events are taking place.
In addition to providing vastly enhanced visitor services, the building will be the Garden's first green structure, certified by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System—the recognized standard in the United States for achievement and excellence in sustainable design. The proposed building is the design of the award-winning New York City architectural firm of Weiss/Manfredi, known for its sensitive integration of architecture, art, infrastructure, and landscape design.
“The new Visitor Center will physically embody our institutional commitment to conservation. We hope it will also inspire our neighbors and visitors to think about how they can incorporate green solutions into their own homes, businesses, and lives.”
Scot Medbury, BBG President
The numerous "green" solutions incorporated into the BBG Visitor Center design include the use of recycled building materials, passive solar principles, geothermal heating, and bioswales (recessed catchment zones filled with water-loving plants) to improve storm-water management and relieve the burden on the municipal storm-water system. The design includes a "living roof" that will utilize a wide range of native and/or drought-resistant plants, offering both energy savings and vibrant seasonal displays. Interpretive exhibits will highlight these design elements, making the building itself a lasting icon of environmentally sound design, challenging visitors to make informed choices in their daily lives, and showcasing the Garden's leadership in sustainable horticulture.
The Garden is pleased to acknowledge Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Department of Cultural Affairs, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, U.S. Representative Yvette C. Clarke, and the New York City Council for their generous early support of the new Visitor Center. Additional support has been received from the Achelis and Bodman Foundations, Booth Ferris Foundation, Helen V. Froehlich Foundation, Independence Community Foundation, Keyspan Corporation, Kresge Foundation's Green Building Initiative, and the New York State Council on the Arts.