The Green-House at Green-Wood, Education and Welcome Center
A new education and welcome center strengthens visitors’ experience of The Green-Wood Cemetery as a destination for art, history, and nature. Founded in 1838, the 478-acre Green-Wood is an active cemetery, historic landscape, “a living collection” of plant specimens, and a cultural landmark, with a range of public programs.
The 19,200 SF Green-House at Green-Wood centralizes and expands programs previously housed in disparate Cemetery buildings into one accessible location and orients visitors before they chart their own paths through the main entrance across the street.
ARO’s new 17,000 SF L-shaped building nestles around a restored historic Victorian greenhouse and creates a new front door to Green-Wood. Staff offices and a community classroom support the Cemetery’s varied public programming, which ranges from birding and tree walks to historic tours and art installations. Two ground-floor galleries display collections as well as traveling exhibitions. The building also houses a new climate-controlled archive for staff and visitors to research Green-Wood’s history and permanent residents.
The building’s contextual design celebrates Green-Wood’s iconic landscape and history. Large windows on the second floor offer expansive views towards the 1865 Richard Upjohn-designed arched gate. A sculpted green roof, lush plantings, and the entry courtyard bring Green-Wood’s hills and winding paths out into Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood, signaling the Green-House as an extension of the Cemetery.
Custom glazed terra cotta in burgundy creates a dynamic façade and materially references the brownstone of the Richard Upjohn-designed arches. The new all-electric, LEED Gold building balances Green-Wood’s commitment to historic preservation with an inspiring sustainable design.
Landscape: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
Historic Greenhouse Exterior Restoration Architect: Walter B. Melvin Architects (direct to owner)
