The Green-Wood Cemetery’s new visitor center is looking close to finished on the exterior and the construction fence has come down. The gleaming Weir Greenhouse is now fully visible along with the terra-cotta-clad new building that wraps around the 19th century landmarked structure.
A sign for Green-Wood is already in place on one wing of the new L-shaped building at 750 5th Avenue, which was designed by Architecture Research Office. The bright green of the historic building pops against the sleek terra-cotta panels of the two-story building, and the onion dome of the greenhouse still manages to dominate the corner.
Landscaping, by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc., is also in place. A green roof tops the one-story glass wing that connects the greenhouse to the new structure. Benches and plantings lead the way to the entrance on 25th Street.
While the restoration of the greenhouse was approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission back in 2015, the final design for the visitor complex wasn’t approved until 2021.
The project got a boost in 2022 with $4.5 million in capital funding, and in 2023 an additional $500,000 in state funds were allocated.
A view of the restored greenhouse was briefly possible in July of 2023 when the old construction fence came down while prepping the site before work began on the new building. By April of this year, the new building had topped out and its terra-cotta panels were in place.
Now dubbed the Green-House at Green-Wood, the space will have room for visitor orientation, classrooms, galleries, and climate-controlled storage for the archive. There will also be offices and restrooms.
Construction workers could be spotted inside the empty greenhouse when Brownstoner walked by Tuesday. Presumably work continues on the interior of the new building, after which the build-out of the galleries and other spaces will start. The target date for the grand opening, in spring of 2026, has not changed, a Green-Wood rep confirmed to Brownstoner.
This story first appeared on Brooklyn Paper’s sister site Brownstoner
