More than 8 million people visit Niagara Falls State Park in New York annually. The park, designed by Frederick Law Omsted, is the oldest state park in the U.S. And yesterday, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation broke ground on a $46 million 28,948-sf Welcome Center for Niagara Falls State Park, which is scheduled for completion in Spring 2023.
“Niagara Falls is a wonder of the world unique to Western New York and its awe-inspiring beauty has been preserved with Niagara Falls State Park,” said New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul, in her Oct. 15 announcement about the Center.
The new building will replace a 35-year-old, much smaller existing facility. The Welcome Center, nestled into a sloped site that offers views to the head of the falls, will include visitor orientation, lobby, interactive exhibits, gift shop, dining, and outdoor terraces and overlook. The Center will comprise new ticketing and information desks, concession spaces, an interpretive museum space, and restrooms.
SUSTAINABILITY IS INTEGRAL TO THE DESIGN
The Center’s glass façade will connect visitors to the falls. And the building’s natural materials—limestone sourced from the Niagara escarpment, wood ceilings, and green roof elements—reflect the building’s surroundings and industrial history. (The park was established in 1885.)
Most of the new building’s footprint will be on the same location as the existing building, to minimize the environmental impact of the site. Indeed, sustainability played an integral role in GWWO Architects’ design of the Welcome Center. The building’s topography reduces heating and cooling demands; low-flow plumbing fixtures reduce water usage; the Niagara River will provide water to irrigate the Welcome Center’s planting, supplemented by water-capturing cisterns.
The building will include roof-mounted solar panels, LED light fixtures, highly insulated walls and roofing, and energy efficient glazing. Its systems are all-electric to reduce carbon emissions in line with the state’s climate goals.
CULMINATION OF MULTI-YEAR REVITALIZATION
GWWO specializes in the design of these kinds of buildings. One of its recent projects was the new Summit Visitors Center for Pike’s Peak in Colorado. Alan Reed, GWWO’s Design Principal, hopes the Niagara Falls State Park project will create “an immersive architectural and educational experience.” GWWO worked with Haley Sharpe Design (the project’s interpretive designers), as well as local historians, residents, and indigenous communities to bring forth an experience that gives visitors a better understanding of the past, present, and future.
Other Building Team members on this project include Buffalo-based RP Oak Hill Building Company (GC) and The LiRo Group (CM and owner’s rep). The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation—named after the founding owner of the Buffalo Bills NFL franchise—contributed an $8 million grant toward the funding of the Welcome Center’s construction, which represents the completion of the $150 million Niagara Falls State Park landscape revitalization that began in 2011.
Related Stories
| Jun 30, 2014
Philip Johnson’s iconic World's Fair 'Tent of Tomorrow' to receive much needed restoration funding
A neglected Queens landmark that once reflected the "excitement and hopefulness" at the beginning of the Space Age may soon be restored.
| Jun 30, 2014
4 design concepts that remake the urban farmer's market
The American Institute of Architects held a competition to solve the farmer's markets' biggest design dilemma: lightweight, bland canopies that although convenient, does not protect much from the elements.
| Jun 26, 2014
Plans for Britain’s newest landmark brings in international cooperation
Designers of the London Eye will team up with companies from France, the Netherlands and the United States to construct i360 Brighton, the U.K.'s newest observation tower.
| Jun 25, 2014
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Spring House, Cincinnati’s Union Terminal among 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2014
The National Trust for Historic Preservation released its annual list of 11 Most Endangered Historical Sites in the United States for 2014.
| Jun 23, 2014
Gehry's 'glass sail' cultural center for Foundation Louis Vuitton set to open in October
Comissioned by Bernard Arnault, American legendary architect Frank Gehry's newest structure in Paris for Foundation Louis Vuitton will house eleven galleries and an auditorium for performing arts.
| Jun 20, 2014
HOK releases proposal for Obama Library and Museum Campus
Proposal would locate the library in Chicago's historic Bronzeville neighborhood, aiming for urban revitalization as well as Living Building certification.
| Jun 20, 2014
Sterling Bay pulled on board for Chicago Old Main Post Office project
Sterling Bay Cos. and Bill Davies' International Property Developers North America partner up for a $500 million restoration of Chicago's Old Main Post Office
| Jun 19, 2014
First look: JDS Architects' roller-coaster-like design for Istanbul waterfront development
The development's wavy and groovy design promises unobstructed views of the Marmara Sea for every unit.
| Jun 18, 2014
Six World Cup stadiums have achieved LEED certification
In conjunction with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that six World Cup stadiums have achieved LEED certification, including South America’s largest stadium, Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro.
| Jun 18, 2014
Study shows walkable urbanism has positive economic impact
Walkable communities have a higher GDP, greater wealth, and higher percentages of college grads, according to a new study by George Washington University.
