A new children’s space within the historic garden.
Founded in 1910, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a New York City icon, is home to 10,000 plant species and several historic structures. The ambitious renovation project, led by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, established a new Children’s Discovery Garden at the far south end of the 52-acre landscape and included a series of buildings and spaces designed by Architecture Research Office. To reactivate the South Entrance and support new gardens nearby, a new gateway building with admissions and comfort station facilities was constructed. A new dining kiosk was designed to modernize the cafeteria plaza, and renovation of a former bookstore created new event space.
Altieri’s scope comprised the design of all MEPF systems for building structures – including variable refrigerant heating and cooling system and IT capabilities extended from the existing buildings, as well as landscape infrastructure – including site lighting along the garden paths and at the historic entry arch, domestic water routed underground throughout the garden for connection to irrigation systems and drinking fountains, and a sophisticated control system to monitor pond levels in anticipation of storm events.
