The 52-acre Brooklyn Botanic Garden is principally organized by a sinuous body of water extending from the Japanese Garden Pond. Between the northern head of the pond and the Brooklyn Museum, a 25-foot high berm defines the Garden’s edge and functions as a verdant backdrop to its interior.

A remnant of the original, uncompleted Olmsted Brothers design for the Brooklyn Museum, the berm has evolved to form an important threshold between the City and the Garden. The ridge of the berm hosts a mature allee of Ginkgo trees and path serving as a grand balcony overlooking the garden collections.

The relationship between the berm and the pond summarizes the 3-acre site design for the new Visitors Center: the convex and the concave; the movement and collection of water. This yin/yang approach further informs the development of a unique and sustainable architectural gateway integrated into its landscape context.