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Courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden
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Courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden
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Courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden has announced plans to construct a new visitor center, replacing the current one, which was built in 1982 with just 250,000 annual visitors in mind. Here are eight things to know about the project, named Gateway to the Garden.
1. Construction on the $92 million, privately funded center begins in January 2020 and is slated to be completed by spring 2022.
2. The center is largely funded by the Crawford-Taylor Foundation and will be named the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center, after the Enterprise founder. At a press conference held Monday, Jo Ann Taylor Kindle said the family's donation will continue her father and family's legacy and love of the garden. "In fact, one of Dad's [proudest] moments was having a newly discovered plant species named in his honor. The species of this is a type of milkweed found throughout Mesoamerica," she said. "We're dedicated to the growth and development of this beautiful city that we love so much. And the garden has such a deep cultural impact."
3. The new center is expected to better accommodate the garden’s nearly 1 million annual visitors. Among its new amenities, an "expanded garden to the north of the visitor center so guests, before they even enter the building, will be immersed in the garden. There will be new terrace gardens to the south, all planted with species collected from around the world. Many of them preserved here [are] rare and endangered," Missouri Botanical Garden President Peter Wyse Jackson said during the press conference.
Courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden
4. "There will be a permanent, year-round new conservatory planted with species from the world's Mediterranean areas," Wyse Jackson said. The center's shop will include outdoor plants for sale. Attendees can dine at a grab-and-go location and a sit-down café with views onto the garden. The addition includes a separate area for large private events and conferences. "Ticketing will be streamlined, and a single desk will provide information, ticket sales, membership sales, and security," the release notes.
5. The entrance will be more accessible, with benches for gathering and resting, wide pathways and additional drop-off areas.
6. The garden will remain open during construction.
7. Architect Ayers Saint Gross and landscape architect Michael Vergason will partner with St. Louis–based construction manager Alberici on the project, as well as with several local engineers and consultants. "Importantly, we intend to provide good subcontracting opportunities with minorities and women-owned businesses to foster diversity and participation in what will be, I believe, a community treasure," said Wyse Jackson.
Courtesy of Missouri Botanical Garden
8. "The new building will be LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certified. It will use the best practices in sustainability in its design and in its construction, as well as in its ongoing operations and its maintenance," Wyse Jackson said. "Its environmentally friendly features will include highly efficient mechanical systems that use less energy." The sustainability efforts include a rooftop solar array and the capturing and reusing of rainwater to minimize the impact on the local water supply.
"In short," Wyse Jackson said, "we will create a gateway to the garden that enhances the experiences that visitors enjoy in the garden itself."
