The BOTD is a no-frills look at interesting structures of all types and from all neighborhoods. There will be old, new, important, forgotten, public, private, good and bad. Whatever strikes our fancy. We hope you enjoy.

Address:145 Brooklyn Avenue, corner of St. Marks Avenue
Name: Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Neighborhood: Crown Heights North
Year Built: This new version, 2008
Architectural Style: Contemporary
Architects: Hardy Holtzman Pfeiffer (1977) Rafael Viñoly (2008)
Landmarked: No

Why chosen: The original Children’s Museum was a Victorian mansion on the edge of Brower Park, founded in 1899.. It was the first museum of its kind in the US. In 1966, the museum was relocated to an old auto showroom while a new, mostly underground museum, designed by Hardy Holtzman Pfeiffer was built, that one opening in 1977. Rafael Viñoly designed his new building on top of the underground structure, expanding their exhibit, hospitality and office space to over 100,000 square feet. The museum is the first NYC museum to be LEED Silver Certified, with geothermic wells for heating and cooling, and photovoltaic cells on the exterior walls to convert solar energy to electric power. The bright yellow exterior is comprised of over 8 million ceramic tiles. The Museum is a valuable member of the Crown Heights North community. Hours and programs are listed on their website.
Photo: Brooklyn Children’s Museum