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July 7, 2009

BBG Visitor Center Design Unveiled, Award Announced

Yesterday the Brooklyn Botanic Garden gave the public its first views of its new Visitor Pavilion and announced that the design by Manhattan-based Weiss/Manfredi had won the Award for Excellence in Design by the Public Design Commission of the City of New York. There's lot of detail (and more renderings) over on the BBG site about the environmentally-friendly building, but the center, to be located at 900 Washington Avenue, will house new garden shop, an orientation room for tours and classes, an information desk, an event space, a refreshment bar, and restrooms.
A New Visitor Center [BBG]

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I like the older buildings better.
This looks like an Acura showroom in Great Neck.

Posted by: Minard Lafever at July 7, 2009 11:11 AM

Waste of money. Its all very nice but there's nothing wrong with the current combination of facilities. Better the money was spent on free summer camp growing veggies and flowers for Brooklyn kids from low-income families.

Posted by: dittoburg at July 7, 2009 11:12 AM

I hope it turns out well.
Hard to tell from the renderings, but will this facility be overlooking the cherry esplanade? I hope not. It's nice to sit on the grass and be surrounded by nature instead of looking into a glass lobby.

Posted by: chip at July 7, 2009 11:28 AM

According to GMAP they're going to have to demolish the Brooklyn Museum to build this.

Posted by: dittoburg at July 7, 2009 11:32 AM

Do I understand correctly that the visitor center hasn't been built yet? If so, how can anybody give out awards based on renderings?

Posted by: g man at July 7, 2009 11:35 AM

Chip I agree. The top end of the cherry esplanade is currently quiet and a lovely place to relax when the blossoms are out. It seems now its going to become a thoroughfare. What a dumb idea. Any BBG committee members out there care to fill us in?

Posted by: dittoburg at July 7, 2009 11:35 AM

This pavilion will be located at the entrance to the garden at the Museum parking lot. It will be located within the garden and will destroy the lovely knot garden/herb garden. They claim to be rebuilding the herb garden along flatbush avenue. Unfortunately, that required the destruction of the peony garden.

This whole project is an abomination. Unfortunately the garden got a large donation and forgot that they have some magnificent classic spaces that are beloved by their members and instead decided that they need a new building.

UGH

Posted by: mrcoop at July 7, 2009 12:25 PM

I think a good use of the money would have been to design and build a pedestrian archway over Flatbush Avenue that connects Prospect Park to the Botanic Garden. It could be long and sloping, with a formal entrance inside Prospect Park.

Posted by: tomgee at July 7, 2009 12:58 PM

What about the huge old Ginkgo tree by the entrance (the biggest I've seen)- that seems to have been chopped down in the rendering too. And the wisteria over the current entrance? Screw it, I'm cancelling my membership.

Posted by: dittoburg at July 7, 2009 1:15 PM

Great idea, Tomqee

Posted by: Arkady at July 7, 2009 1:15 PM

Total waste of money. Who'd decide to go to a botanical gardens based on their having a spiffy Visitor's center? The current one is fine, and also, the food is good in the concession, quite a surprise.

Posted by: cmu at July 7, 2009 1:46 PM

Terrible idea. So the herb garden is not going to be rebuilt, the japanese peonies are gone (or moved I hope at a minimum), the cherry esplanade will be marred by this visitor center, and the tranquil hill above the espalande and the rose gardens will be a thoroughfare of visitors coming and going into the gardens.

Who is the moron who dreamed this up. One of the best things about the BBG is the understated elegence of the place. This flies in the face of that. If they want a better main entrance, that's ok I guess (unecessary but ok), but this is overkill. A big reception center is not needed. Really bad decision in my opinion.

Posted by: 1842 at July 7, 2009 2:07 PM

it is embracing its role as a upscale wedding center.

...not a park.

Posted by: whynot at July 7, 2009 2:19 PM

hi peeps,

i happen to work at BBG so i can unofficially correct some of the misinformation on this thread. First: tree peonies successfully relocated this past spring. Ditto giant ginkgo. (come visit and see them!) A new Herb Garden has been constructed in a location in the SE part of BBG and will open at the end of the summer, with a knot garden, overlook, orchard & more space.

the new building itself is designed specifically to embrace the Garden's "understated elegance" - it will be built not at the end of Cherry Esplanade (which was actually the original, Olmsted Partners plan!) but on the NE perimeter, on Washington Ave where the current parking lot entrance is. it's designed to nestle into the existing berm and blend into the environment, while on Washington Ave it will open the Garden up more to the community. the existing facilities will continue to be well used, allowing more space for classes and programs.

Finally, re the budget: this is part of a capital project that has been in the planning for a decade or so. (I got here 3 yrs ago.) The monies are separate from BBG's operating funds. So it's not like we decided to cut programs in order to fund new construction. Future projects coming out of this campaign include new and restored gardens. All in all: more space for community service, more and better gardens for those who love bbg. and yes, probably more weddings, but the revenue from those keeps our gates open and our gardens growing, so i've learned not to complain about them!

cheers,
eliz

Posted by: eliz at July 7, 2009 2:43 PM

The old BBG visitor's center was designed by McKim Mead & White and has reflecting pools with water lillies and golden carp.
This is the entrance to a new hotel in Orlando.
It's...hygenic.

Posted by: sam at July 7, 2009 2:47 PM

I love the weddings I have been to at the BBG. I would never complain about that! But what does that have to do with this crappy glass garage? Surely you're not suggesting that weddings will come anywhere near it, right? If so, then wave g'bye to that revenue source!
Look, honestly, save the glass for the conservatories. This building is hideous. It is expensive and yet in no way grand.
Forget it! Hire a new architect that can build something in the Beaux Arts manner, damn the art critics, do something everyone will like. Neo-classic is the new Bauhaus.

Posted by: Minard Lafever at July 7, 2009 2:59 PM

My guess is that it's supposed to tie in w/ the abominable entrance to the museum - yuck to both.

Posted by: Arkady at July 7, 2009 3:06 PM

The new entrance to the museum will start leaking in another few years, eventually it will get so bad, look so shoddy, and be so expensive to maintain, that it will be torn down and replaced with a nice new flight of limestone steps with a beautiful classical porte-cochere underneath.

Posted by: sam at July 7, 2009 3:20 PM

Sam,

Are you capable of saying even ONE THING remotely positive about ANYTHING?

Good god. You are absurd and nasty.

This looks great, in my opinion. Rock on BBG. Keep up the great work you've been providing the citizens of NYC for many more years, and ignore those who clearly have no life but to make nasty remarks about anything and everything.

Posted by: 11217 at July 7, 2009 3:29 PM

11217 - most of the comments on here came from people who love and visit the place regularly and have a specific problems with the project, not people just objecting to modern architecture. I'm guessing you rarely go there, if ever. BBG is not a huge place, and one has to be careful encroaching into it. Its not like it has acres of spare land like the bronx botanical gardens.

Thanks for the comments Eliz, but what is rendering no. 4 on the BBG website if not showing the Queen Mary II berthing at the esplanade?

Posted by: dittoburg at July 7, 2009 3:57 PM

I go to BBG at least 10 times a year. Was there last week, in fact.

I have no problem with this...I think it looks great.

I bet I got to BBG more than just about anyone on this thread.

Posted by: 11217 at July 7, 2009 4:04 PM

Well then at least some BBGers support it.

Perhaps the BBG could take a vote of its due-paying members.

Posted by: dittoburg at July 7, 2009 4:14 PM

I don't think they need to vote.

It's happening. And has been given a rather impressive award for design as well.

Despite what a handful of "Brownstoners" think.

I know...shocking that they didn't take a poll here first before they made this decision. ;)

Posted by: 11217 at July 7, 2009 4:19 PM

Perhaps they could turn the Japanese garden into a second car lot, it'd make it a lot more convenient to out-of-towners.

Posted by: dittoburg at July 7, 2009 4:34 PM

11217 are you capable of not contradicting my posts for one solitary day?
I'm not negative, you are.
I never criticize you, although if I wished to I would have a lot ammunition. And I know more words than you. Don't push it.
Lay off junior.
You have your views, I have mine.

Posted by: sam at July 7, 2009 4:53 PM

Not that it matters 11217, but I go much more than 10 times a year, and I do not like this plan. I didn't think this was a contest on who goes more often, or who donates more money to the BBG. We'll see how it plays out, but it looks like it extends much too far into the berm and the Cherry esplanade. The renderings don't give you a full perspective of it from within the garden grounds. What I find odd is that it is not as if the entrances are crowded (except on maybe the cherry blossom festival weekend) or hard to find, so I'm curious why this was a focus of funds in the first place?

Anyway, too late now.

Posted by: 1842 at July 7, 2009 4:56 PM

Yes, and your views are 90% negative. It makes me feel sorry for you.

You may be older, but your post suggests you need to grow up quite a bit. Especially the bit about me picking on you every single day. Overly dramatic, much?

From what I've noticed lately, quite a few people have some serious problems with your nasty and oftentimes elitist comments.

Get a grip. Life is short.

Posted by: 11217 at July 7, 2009 7:06 PM

Wow, there were 10 comments from people who didn't like the design before sam's post yet they weren't chastised. Why do you have such a hard on for sam, 11217?

Posted by: caseopele at July 7, 2009 9:36 PM

dittoburg: rendering 4 is a kindof sideways look off the end of cherry walk, which is the winding path to the east of cherry esplanade. presumably drawn with a very wide-angle lens.... i'll ask my colleagues if they have an overhead plan to share, this could help clear up the confusion.

no plans to change the japanese garden into a parking lot! in fact, as i've heard it plans are to change a bit of the parking lot into garden (bioswales for better water management).

cheers,
eliz

Posted by: eliz at July 8, 2009 9:07 AM

cheers!

Posted by: dittoburg at July 8, 2009 9:35 AM

"e-liz." It's like e-mail or e-commerce. Not to be confused with brick-and-mortar liz, who goes home at night and rests her feet.

New rule for Brownstoner threads: There has to be at least one poster who actually knows the facts, as opposed to just their own opinion formed from the precis posted by Mr. Butler and company.

Is it the heat? We've had a few threads lately that have de-evolved into little more than pissy personal attacks?

Posted by: altervoce at July 8, 2009 10:13 AM

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July 7, 2009

BBG Visitor Center Design Unveiled, Award Announced

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