January 16, 2020

Queens Botanical Garden Visitor & Administration Center Featured in AIA NY | Center for Architecture Exhibition

The Queens Botanical Garden Visitor & Administration Center will be featured in the upcoming AIA NY | Center for Architecture Exhibition: Public Works: Reflecting on 15 Years of Project Excellence for New York City.

From libraries to firehouses to police precincts, the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) builds and upgrades structures in every part of New York City. As the City’s chief construction manager, the agency delivers high-quality public projects that contribute to a thriving, equitable, sustainable, and resilient city for all New Yorkers.

Since 2004, DDC has made a formal commitment to pursue an ambitious public works program in partnership with a diverse group of creative and experienced design and construction professionals. Reflecting on this program over the past 15 years, the exhibition will highlight projects by world-class architects and designers that serve the residents of New York, inspiring pride as lasting community assets. A focused look at selected projects will consider how DDC creates enduring, accessible, and community-oriented spaces that shape the city.

The Queens Botanical Garden is a nexus of botanical and cultural exploration for the most ethnically diverse neighborhood in the United States, Queens County. The new Visitor & Administration Center is a built extension of the Garden’s mission: to demonstrate environmental stewardship while celebrating the cultural connections between people and plants. To that end, the Visitors’ Center is LEED® Platinum certified, a first for a public building in New York City. From the inception of the project, principles of sustainability led the design process. Water, a natural element significant to all cultures, is re-introduced throughout the site, unifying building and landscape.

The opening reception is Thursday, January 16 at 6pm and the exhibition is on view through April 4, 2020.