In conjunction with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's Earth Week celebration (April 19-25), the Brooklyn Children's Museum will officially become the first "green" museum in the City of New York on Friday, April 23 at 12:30pm. Founded in 1899 as the nation's first museum created expressly for children, the Museum will be presented with its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification plaque from the U.S. Green Building Council, for its award-winning facility designed by world-renowned architect Rafael Viñoly. Brooklyn Children's Museum President Georgina Ngozi will be joined for the announcement by Urban Green Council (U.S. Green Building Council of New York) Executive Director Russell Unger, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin, New York City Department of Design and Construction Commissioner David Burney, New York Power Authority President and CEO Richard Kessel, and Project Director David Roland of Rafael Viñoly Architects.
"Our Administration is committed to making investments in New York City's cultural institutions that help them expand their programs and incorporate state-of-the-art building design, and the recently expanded Brooklyn Children's Museum is a great example of that," said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "As the world's first museum dedicated to kids, the Brooklyn Children's Museum has a history as a groundbreaking institution, so it's fitting that it's now the City's first green museum. Congratulations to museum President Georgina Ngozi, the directors and the entire staff for helping it continue its more than century-old tradition of bringing high-quality exhibitions and educational programs to families from Brooklyn and beyond."
"We are very proud to be New York City's first LEED certified green museum," said Brooklyn Children's Museum President Georgina Ngozi. "The museum has presented environmental and science education curricula since its founding in 1899, and now our building is itself a teaching tool which fulfills our educational mission."
"For 110 years, no institution has had more energy and creativity than the Brooklyn Children's Museum when it comes to inspiring curiosity and instilling a love of learning in our young people," said Brooklyn
Borough President Marty Markowitz. "Now, they are teaching all of us how to do it right when it comes to using creative design to be environmentally friendly. I am thrilled to have been able to join the Mayor in supporting this vibrant yellow-and proudly ‘green'-state-of-the art renovation by Rafael Viñoly. Bravo to the Brooklyn Children's Museum for its well-deserved LEED certification and for providing thrills for kids from Brooklyn and beyond far into our city's bright-and ‘green'-future."
In September 2008, the Museum reopened after a 10-year, $80 million renovation and expansion project, designed by Rafael Viñoly. With an iconic new exterior covered in 8.1 million daffodil yellow tiles, the Museum doubled in size to 102,000 square feet, and its all-new arts, culture, science and environmental exhibits now serve more than 400,000 annual visitors, up from 250,000 annual visitors. The City of New York provided a total of $48 million for the Department of Design and Construction-managed renovation project, with an additional $1.2 million coming from New York State. The Museum raised $19.5 million from private sources and competitive government grants for new exhibits, programs, and endowment, with a further $11.5 million raised toward future phases of the master plan. Upcoming projects include a roof replacement and canopy, infrastructure improvements and a federally funded parking facility and streetscape enhancements.
"If you dig into the history of green building in New York City, at its roots you find forward-thinking nonprofits and government agencies," said Urban Green Council (USGBC of New York) Executive Director Russell Unger. "Achieving LEED Silver status demonstrates that an institution meets global standards in all of the areas that matter the most: energy savings, sustainability and efficiency. I commend the Brooklyn Children's Museum for continuing this proud history by breaking new, green ground for cultural institutions."
"We are proud to have supported the Museum in their mission with an integrated paradigm of sustainability based on the fundamentals of cultural, economic, and energy efficiency and on technical innovations and solutions that extend beyond applied technology." Said Rafael Viñoly - Rafael Viñoly Architects.
