Brooklyn Children's Museum by Rafael Vinoly Architects

"The design of the Brooklyn Children's Museum is a force for shaping the creativity of young minds," says Rafael Vinoly. "Its expanded presence in the neighborhood elicits a visceral, instinctive response in children that's exciting to see."

Brooklyn Children's Museum
Design Team: Rafael Vinoly Architects
Location: Brooklyn, New York, US
Status: Completion 2008
Awards: AIA Tennessee Award of Excellence, AIA East Tennessee Award of Honor

Seeking expanded capacity to serve a growing audience of children and families, the Brooklyn Children's Museum wanted a new public presence that would contribute to the vitality of the surrounding community. Rafael Vinoly Architects has achieved this by creating a distinctive L-shaped, two-story structure that differs from its context in color as well as physical form, yet remains welcoming and deferential to the museum's existing built fabric. The plan doubles the museum's space to 102,000 square feet and is expected to expand its annual visitor capacity from 250,000 to 400,000.

The architecture of the new building is compelling and inviting to children, its glittering envelope of 8.1 million yellow ceramic tiles creating a landmark attraction. The implemented design completely reimagines the existing 1977 museum, both expanding and reconfiguring it. Two stories of new construction add a library, exhibition galleries, cafe, and classrooms. The new building's expanded plan and second-floor galleries are integrated with the existing structure through open staircases and vertical circulation cores, providing visitors with a wider array of circulation options. The design provides access to the existing rooftop terrace and outdoor theater, linking these spaces directly to a second-floor Kids' Cafe. Throughout the building, specially-designed features ensure that the architecture remains child-accessible: for instance, additional wooden handrails are mounted at a low level, and porthole windows punctuate the building envelope at a variety of heights and angles, yielding a series of unique elevated perspectives on the neighborhood.




Whenever possible, construction utilized rapidly renewable and recycled materials and also incorporated high-performance/sustainable features. The museum will be the first in New York City to employ geothermal wells for heating and cooling purposes.

The Brooklyn Children's Museum is planned to be New York City's first LEED-certified museum and the first to tap geothermal wells for heating and cooling purposes. Wherever possible, construction utilized rapidly renewable and recycled materials and incorporated high-performance/sustainable features. Photovoltaic cells on exterior walls convert solar energy directly into electrical power, and energy-saving sensors control the interior lighting and ventilation systems.







via Rafael Vinoly Architects