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Sanaa-designed cultural center opens at Connecticut’s Grace Farms

Cultural Facilities

Sanaa-designed cultural center opens at Connecticut’s Grace Farms

The 83,000-sf The River is five pavillions with space for a sanctuary, library, and gym.


By Mike Chamernik, Associate Editor | October 9, 2015
Sanaa-designed cultural center opens at Connecticut’s Grace Farms

The River, designed by Sanaa, lets guests see the surrounding nature reserve. Photos courtesy Grace Farms (via Dezeen)

Grace Farms, a nature reserve in New Canaan, Conn., opened a new cultural center on Friday.

Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of the firm Sanaa designed the winding 83,000-sf structure. The River is situated on a hillside in the 80-acre reserve, and it consists of five pavilions linked by a curved roof, according to Dezeen.

The pavilions contain a sanctuary, library, gym, and other attractions. The River has a wood roof with aluminum panels, and it is filled with glass walls that provide views of the nature expanse.

The sanctuary will be used by the Grace Community Church and other groups, but it is open to the public. Along with The River, Grace Farms has woods, wetlands, trails, and a pond. A barn on the property was renovated into a open-air garden and welcome center.

The Guardian has the story of how the $83 million center came to be.

 

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