{"id":7671,"date":"2026-04-24T17:00:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T17:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/?p=7671"},"modified":"2026-05-01T15:24:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T15:24:57","slug":"aro-transforms-green-wood-cemetery-greenhouse-in-new-york-into-welcome-centre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/aro-transforms-green-wood-cemetery-greenhouse-in-new-york-into-welcome-centre\/","title":{"rendered":"ARO transforms Green-Wood Cemetery greenhouse in New York into welcome centre"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Green<\/div>\n

New York architecture studio ARO has restored a historic greenhouse<\/a> at the storied Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn<\/a>, surrounding the structure with a new welcome centre and entrance courtyard.<\/span><\/p>\n

ARO<\/a> transformed the corner site adjacent to the still-active 19th-century Green-Wood Cemetery, which is an early example of American rural cemeteries with arborous, rolling grounds, to support its expanded operations.<\/p>\n

\"Aerial
ARO has completed a renovation and extension of a Brooklyn greenhouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The greenhouse was constructed in the late 19th century and once served as a flower shop servicing the cemetery, before falling into disrepair. The cemetery administration purchased it and decided to consolidate its scattered welcome programmes into the site.<\/p>\n

Green-Wood Cemetery’s senior vice president of development, Lisa Alpert, said the building was meant to be as “much for the living as for the dead”.<\/p>\n

\"Restored
It serves as a welcome centre to the adjacent Green-Wood Cemetery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two primary moves characterise the project \u2013 a renovation of the historic greenhouse and the construction of a burgundy-coloured building to accommodate welcome spaces, historical programming, archives and administrative offices.<\/p>\n

To do this, ARO created an L-shaped structure that wraps around the greenhouse and orients the building’s viewpoints towards the arched gateway at the top of the cemetery’s hilled drive.<\/p>\n

\"Green
A new building has burgundy panels arranged as a brise-soleil<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The greenhouse was painted green, while the new building features burgundy cladding, a colour chosen to reference the brownstone arched gateway.<\/p>\n

ARO principal Kim Yao said that the design meant to represent the cemetery “reaching out into the neighbourhood” and called the greenhouse a “jewel” on the corner.<\/p>\n

\"Green
The single-floor aspect of the new building holds the connector lobby<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Part of this “reaching out” also included landscaping around the structure, which visually extends the cemetery’s greenery, such as in the entry courtyard between the greenhouse and the burgundy building. The landscaping was designed by New York studio Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The entry courtyard brings visitors to a lobby that connects directly to the restored greenhouse.<\/p>\n

Here, ARO added acoustic panelling and radiant heating, replacing the brick floor and some of the panes, though the load on the delicate steel structure had to be kept very light.<\/p>\n

\"Historic
The historic greenhouse was given fresh flooring and mechanical updates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This renewed space frames more views of the cemetery beyond. On the other side, the lobby connects to an open gallery space with stone floors and large panes of glass, through which the articulated brise-soleil is visible, as is the greenhouse structure.<\/p>\n

Upstairs, the office programme was left open-plan, looking out towards the east.<\/p>\n