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…
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]
Well then at least some BBGers support it.
Perhaps the BBG could take a vote of its due-paying members.
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.
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?
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.
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.
My guess is that it’s supposed to tie in w/ the abominable entrance to the museum – yuck to both.
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.
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.
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