PHOTOS: Inhabitat Tours Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s New Green Roofed Visitor Center

The new green-grass-roofed <a href="http://www.bbg.org/" target="_blank">Brooklyn Botanic Garden</a>’s Visitor Center will officially open on May 16th, but Inhabitat has already gotten a sneak preview of the gorgeous space. Designed by <a href="http://www.weissmanfredi.com/" target="_blank">Weiss/Manfredi</a>, the new structure rests in harmony with the surrounding gardens, both in architectural design and environmental footprint. Rising from a Gingko tree-lined hill, the glass <a href="http://inhabitat.com/israels-hula-visitor-center-offers-breathtaking-vantage-points-for-birdwatching/" target="_blank">visitor center</a> is both welcoming and unimposing, providing an area of respite and<a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/event/sakura-matsuri-cherry-blossom-festival-at-the-brooklyn-botanic-gardens/" target="_blank"> superior views of the serene gardens</a>.

Visitors enter the new facility through ornate white wrought iron fences, which swing open at a 90 degree angle and meet a sunken rain garden. <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/photos-patrick-blancs-enchanting-vertical-garden-wonderland-is-laced-with-7000-orchids-at-the-new-york-botanical-garden/" target="_blank">The garden</a> will catch storm overflow, and by summer should be lush with grass and plants.

A short jaunt up a gentle hill leads to the convergence of two sloping structures joined by a curvilinear roof. The area on the left will house the BBG’s new gift shop, while the right serves as the main welcome center.

Inside, the structure is a mass of organic shapes and lines. The welcome center hall features educational and interactive videos about the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/patrick-blancs-gorgeous-vertical-gardens-flank-the-10th-annual-orchid-show-at-nybg/" target="_blank">plants and wildlife</a> in the surrounding gardens, as well as signs about sustainable building- which can also be seen around the grounds.

The highlight of the interior is the enormous <a href="http://inhabitat.com/leaf-shaped-lotus-electric-vehicle-charger-doubles-as-a-solar-powered-led-streetlight/" target="_blank">leaf-shaped</a> event space that is comprised of only two arched walls that span to double the height of the welcome center.

The highlight of the interior is the enormous <a href="http://inhabitat.com/leaf-shaped-lotus-electric-vehicle-charger-doubles-as-a-solar-powered-led-streetlight/" target="_blank">leaf-shaped</a> event space that is comprised of only two arched walls that span to double the height of the welcome center. The glass walls are etched with a pattern that keeps birds from flying into them, but also creates a symbiosis with the lines of trees outside. The strips of wood paneling inside were made from milled Gingko trees cleared from the site.

Outside of the event space is a patio for visitors to rest or sit and contemplate the nearby gardens.

Around sixty percent of the visitor center, including the kitchen and utility areas, is <a href="http://inhabitat.com/archaeolink-prehistory-park-in-scotland-hides-beneath-a-lush-green-mound/" target="_blank">nestled within the base of the adjacent hill</a>.

The hill creates natural insulation for the entire building, and heat is captured through 28 <a href="http://inhabitat.com/photos-biosphere-environmental-museum-resides-inside-a-buckminster-fuller-masterpiece/" target="_blank">geothermic wells</a> that line the perimeter of the visitor center area; these are visible by BBG logo stamped caps on the path outside. The heat captured is used in the radiant floor. The site also uses a re-circulated and recycled water system.

The building’s crowning glory is the 10,000 square foot <a href="http://inhabitat.com/angela-youngmans-light-and-enjoyable-read-will-increase-your-green-roof-smarts/" target="_blank">green roof</a>, which is accessible through a staircase along the outside of the building.

After passing through a tunnel underneath the green roof, visitors can sit on a hill of benches to admire the lush <a href="http://inhabitat.com/plant-covered-museum-of-modern-art-in-warsaw-blends-in-with-the-surrounding-park/" target="_blank">grass roof</a>, or walk up the hill a bit to get a view of the grass juxtaposed with the historic architecture that surrounds the neighborhood.

Although the new Visitor Center opens next week, the BBG will be celebrating on June 2<span style="font-size: 11px;">nd</span> by offering free admission and a roster of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/the-best-6-places-to-see-spring-bloom-in-nyc/" target="_blank">family activities</a>.